British Police Crack Down on Cross-Continental Mobile Phone Smuggling Network
British police have dismantled a criminal network implicated in exporting 40% of London's stolen phones to China. The operation emerged after discovering a shipment of stolen iPhones at Heathrow. It resulted in 46 arrests, revealing Apple products were targeted due to high overseas demand.
- Country:
- United Kingdom
In a major breakthrough, British police announced on Tuesday the disruption of a widespread smuggling network responsible for exporting up to 40,000 stolen mobile phones from the UK to China over the past year.
The investigation, deemed the largest of its kind, was initiated after authorities found a container with around 1,000 stolen iPhones at a warehouse near London's Heathrow Airport bound for Hong Kong, according to the police.
The network, suspected of orchestrating the export of nearly 40% of all stolen phones in London, was significantly targeted, resulting in the arrest of 46 individuals. Detective Inspector Mark Gavin highlighted the group's focus on Apple products, fetching high profits due to lucrative foreign markets, especially in China.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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