London Police Bust Ring That Smuggled 40,000 Stolen Phones to China in a Year
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London police have dismantled a criminal ring accused of smuggling as many as 40,000 stolen mobile phones from the U.K. to China over the past year.
The haul represents 40% of all phones reported stolen in the British capital during that period, the police said on Oct. 7. The operation, described by the police as the largest of its kind in U.K. history, also led to the arrest of 15 people suspected of carrying out street robberies and thefts.
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- London police dismantled a ring that smuggled up to 40,000 stolen mobile phones—40% of London’s reported thefts—to China in a year.
- The operation led to 46 arrests, including the main suspects, and the seizure of thousands of devices, mainly Apple products.
- Stolen phones were shipped to Hong Kong and resold in Shenzhen for parts, highlighting a lucrative global black market.
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Who’s Who
- Financial Times
- The Financial Times (金融时报) previously investigated the routes of stolen mobile phones, finding they are often routed through industrial buildings in Hong Kong's Kwun Tong district. These devices are then sold via online auctions to buyers primarily from Shenzhen on the Chinese mainland, ultimately ending up in Shenzhen's Huaqiangbei area, a major electronics and secondhand mobile phone distribution hub.
- Apple
- Stolen **Apple** products, specifically iPhones, were targeted by a criminal ring in London. Thieves received up to 300 pounds ($400) for each stolen iPhone. Nearly 1,000 stolen iPhones, wrapped in tin foil to block tracking signals like **Apple**'s "Find My," were discovered in a shipping container destined for Hong Kong.
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What Happened When
- December 2024：
- Police discovered a shipping container near Heathrow Airport destined for Hong Kong containing nearly 1,000 stolen iPhones.
- By December 2024：
- As many as 40,000 stolen mobile phones were smuggled from the UK to China over the previous year (2024-2025), according to police.
- Sept. 23, 2025：
- Police arrested two main suspects in northeast London on suspicion of handling stolen goods; about 2,000 electronic devices were seized.
- Oct. 7, 2025：
- London police announced the dismantling of a criminal ring smuggling 40,000 stolen phones, and London Mayor Sadiq Khan called for global action.
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