Police in the United Kingdom have arrested 46 individuals following a large-scale operation that dismantled a criminal network accused of smuggling tens of thousands of stolen phones from the UK to China. Authorities say the network may have trafficked up to 40,000 mobile devices, most of them high-end Apple products, over the past year.
The months-long investigation began in December 2024, when customs officials discovered a suspicious shipment at a warehouse near Heathrow Airport. The box, destined for Hong Kong, contained around 1,000 iPhones, most of which were later confirmed to be stolen. The discovery triggered Operation Echosteep, an intensive police campaign aimed at dismantling the sophisticated smuggling syndicate.
Specialist detectives were brought in to trace the supply chain, identify key suspects, and intercept further shipments. During the course of the operation, police arrested two men in their 30s on September 23 on suspicion of handling stolen goods. A search of their car and related properties led to the recovery of several stolen phones and an additional 2,000 devices. The suspects have since been charged and remanded in custody.
Investigators revealed that the smuggling ring operated through a network of street-level thieves who targeted high-value smartphones, primarily iPhones. The thieves were reportedly paid up to £300 (approximately Ksh53,000) per handset, while the stolen devices were resold in China for as much as $5,000 (£3,700) each. This lucrative trade made mobile phone theft one of the most profitable forms of organized crime in the UK.
Senior officers described the initiative as the largest crackdown on mobile phone theft and smuggling ever conducted in the country. Commander Andrew Featherstone, who leads efforts against phone-related crimes, emphasized the importance of continued collaboration between law enforcement and technology companies. He urged manufacturers such as Apple and Samsung to strengthen security features and implement more effective tracking and reactivation prevention systems to make stolen devices less valuable to criminals.
In addition to the arrests linked to smuggling, police detained 11 suspects involved in robberies targeting courier vans delivering the new iPhone 17. Another two men were taken into custody in north London on suspicion of money laundering and handling stolen goods after officers seized nearly £40,000 in cash at a phone shop.
Authorities say Operation Echosteep demonstrates the police’s determination to curb phone theft and smuggling networks, while sending a clear message to organized criminal groups that such crimes will not go unpunished.
