Media: London became phone-snatching capital of Europe
London is experiencing a surge in smartphone thefts. In 2024 alone, a record 80,000 phones were stolen in the city, up from 64,000 in 2023. This increase has led the police to launch a large-scale operation against criminal gangs, TASS reports.
According to The New York Times, thieves riding electric bikes steal phones from pedestrians and then send the stolen devices abroad through a chain of stores.
In recent police raids, around 2,000 stolen phones and £200,000 ($267,000) in cash were recovered. The suspected leaders of the criminal group were arrested; they had been using aluminium foil to block tracking signals.
Experts suggest that the rise in such crimes is linked to reduced funding for British law enforcement in the 2010s and the widespread use of electric bicycles, which provide a fast mode of transportation. Emmeline Taylor, Professor of Criminology at the University of London, notes that minor offenders often act with near impunity.
As noted by the London police, only a small fraction of theft cases result in charges: out of 106,000 reported thefts in a year, just 495 individuals were prosecuted.
