Gangs stealing mobile phones to be targeted in crackdown after huge spike in thefts

Brazen thieves who steal mobile phones that end up as far away as China are to be targeted in a new government crackdown as thefts soared by more than 150 per cent last year.

The latest figures from the Crime Survey for England and Wales show that an estimated 78,000 people had phones or bags snatched from them in the 12 months to March 2024.

This represented a 153 per cent rise when compared to the 31,000 incidents of “snatch thefts” in the same period to March 2023. There are now more than 200 incidents every day across England and Wales.

Masked thieves often target victims by snatching phones while on motorbikes and ebikes on busy high streets across the country.

In one small area around Oxford Circus and Regent Street in London, there were more than 10,000 thefts from a person over the last three years with more than 99 per cent of them going unsolved, data analysis by Crest Advisory revealed.

Across England and Wales, Just 0.8 per cent of “theft from the person” resulted in a charge, and 81.9 per cent of police investigations were closed before a suspect was found.

In a recent case , a prolific phone snatcher who used an electric motorbike to steal from members of the public on the streets of London was jailed for two years.

Sonny Stringer, 28, from Islington, stole 24 phones on the morning of 26 March before evading police by riding at speeds of nearly 50mph.

The Independent also revealed earlier this year how many iPhones were being tracked to China where it’s believed to be easier for criminals to recycle or breakdown the stolen items.

But now, in a bid to tackle this soaring criminal activity, the Home Office said it would call tech companies and manufacturers to a summit which would look at “the new innovations that could take on the illegal market”.

The government is also expected to ask police chiefs to help tackle the issue, with Operation Opal – the national police intelligence unit – launching a probe to gather urgent information on the criminals who steal mobile phones, and where these devices end up.

Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson said that phone companies must ensure it is more difficult for stolen phones to re-registered for sale on the second-hand market.

It is easier to unlock and sell stolen iPhones in Shenzhen, which has the largest electronics market in the world, police chiefs have told The Independent – but the criminals require the devices to be disconnected from the victims’ Apple accounts.

The tight security of iPhones means that it is difficult for a criminal who has stolen one to get into or use the device without its passcode or the owner’s Apple account password, unless it is remotely removed from that account for someone else to use, which also requires a login.

Dame Diana said: “With new phones coming to market and young people going back to school and university, many of us will have a new phone in our hands at this time of year.

“These figures are troubling and the Government is determined to do whatever’s necessary to protect people entitled to walk the streets without the threat of robbery.

“As part of our Safer Streets mission, this new government is determined to crack down on snatch theft, knife-enabled robbery, and other crimes that make people feel unsafe in our communities, and we are working to get thousands more uniformed officers into our communities to restore neighbourhood policing.

“If we work together, Government, tech companies and law enforcement can break the business model of the phone thieves and moped gangs who rely on this trade.”

National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Personal Robbery, Commander Richard Smith, added: “Personal robbery can have a devastating impact on victims, leaving them with trauma which can be lasting.

“Criminals often target some of the most vulnerable in society, such as children, with threats that violence may be used, making robbery particularly traumatic.

“We continue to target those habitual criminals responsible for prolific offending, whilst working to prevent young people from being into this type of offending.

“Manufacturers and the tech industry have an important role in reducing opportunities for criminals to benefit from the re-sale of stolen handsets.”