WATCH: Satisfying moment Met Police arrest phone-snatching gang and recover 30 stolen mobiles
London police have successfully apprehended a phone-snatching gang, arresting three young men inside a pub and recovering 30 stolen mobile phones worth £20,000.
The Metropolitan Police shared video footage of the operation, which shows officers entering the London establishment and placing one of the gang members under arrest.
This successful operation highlights the ongoing challenge faced by law enforcement in tackling street crime and protecting Londoners from opportunistic thieves.
The video footage released by the Metropolitan Police shows the gang’s modus operandi, with the thieves riding e-bikes to snatch phones from unsuspecting pedestrians.
The criminals targeted victims in Greenwich and Bermondsey, causing havoc on London streets.
After the arrests, police were able to return 30 stolen phones to their rightful owners.
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This operation is part of a larger effort to address the surge in phone thefts across the capital.
Recent statistics from the Metropolitan Police reveal that phone thefts have more than doubled in some parts of London.
The force’s website states: “Thousands of mobile phones are stolen in London every year, most commonly through pickpocketing, table surfing, and more recently an increase in snatches by criminals riding on mopeds.”
The rise in phone thefts is starkly illustrated by recent data. According to the Crime Survey for England and Wales, 78,000 people had phones or bags stolen on British streets in the year to March 2024, a dramatic increase of over 150 per cent from the previous 12 months.
Alarmingly, four in five police investigations into these thefts were closed before a suspect was identified. Only 0.8 per cent of ‘theft from the person’ complaints resulted in a charge.
This surge in crime has prompted increased police efforts to combat phone thefts.
In August, a man dubbed ‘London’s most notorious phone thief’ was jailed for two years after snatching 24 phones in a single morning.
The Metropolitan Police continue to warn the public about the various tactics employed by thieves, including pickpocketing and ‘table surfing’ in addition to snatching thefts.
The Government has pledged to crack down on the scourge of phone thefts, with the Home Office announcing plans to work more closely with tech firms and police chiefs.
This initiative aims to address the growing concern over street crime and its impact on Londoners.
The Metropolitan Police continue to urge the public to remain aware of their surroundings and take precautions to protect their valuable devices.