Tech companies have been given a deadline by the Metropolitan Police to enhance the security of stolen phones or face government interference. This warning coincided with the announcement of a new collaboration between the police force and Apple to disrupt criminal networks involved in phone theft globally. The partnership will involve sharing intelligence on stolen devices to track their movements and prevent reactivation.
The Metropolitan Police had been campaigning for over two years, highlighting phone theft as a profitable international criminal activity. Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley emphasized the importance of tech firms taking immediate measures to deter the resale and reuse of stolen phones. The collaboration aims to render stolen devices less valuable to criminals by preventing their reactivation, thus reducing the incentive for theft.
Recent investigations by the Met led to the admission of three individuals for handling stolen goods in connection with the largest mobile phone smuggling network in the UK. This network trafficked around 40,000 stolen phones to China between 2024 and 2025, with over 1,000 suspected stolen phones seized during a raid in North-West London.
Furthermore, there was a significant drop in phone theft in Westminster following targeted enforcement actions, resulting in numerous arrests and the recovery of thousands of stolen phones. The police emphasized the need for continuous efforts to combat phone theft and urged the government to introduce legislation requiring phone companies to disclose data on stolen devices and reactivations.
In addition, the Met urged the Home Office to prepare legislation mandating minimum technical standards to make stolen UK phones unusable if industry initiatives prove insufficient. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan stressed that addressing mobile phone crime requires collaborative efforts between law enforcement and the mobile phone industry to prevent stolen phones from being used or sold both locally and globally.
