Credit: Metropolitan Police.Police have disrupted a criminal network suspected of smuggling tens of thousands of stolen phones from the UK in its largest ever operation to tackle phone theft in London.The criminal organisation is believed to have smuggled up to 40,000 stolen phones from the UK to China over the past 12 months - up to 40% of all phones stolen in London, the Metropolitan Police said on Monday.The force launched Operation Echosteep in December 2024 after a box containing about 1,00

Credit: Metropolitan Police.Police have disrupted a criminal network suspected of smuggling tens of thousands of stolen phones from the UK in its largest ever operation to tackle phone theft in London.The criminal organisation is believed to have smuggled up to 40,000 stolen phones from the UK to China over the past 12 months - up to 40% of all phones stolen in London, the Metropolitan Police said on Monday.The force launched Operation Echosteep in December 2024 after a box containing about 1,000 iPhones being shipped to Hong Kong was found at a warehouse near Heathrow Airport.