Muggers paid £300 per device snatched by gang handling half of London’s stolen devices

A gang thought to be responsible for more than half of London’s phone thefts over two years have pleaded guilty.

Met Police say they have cracked the UK’s largest mobile phone smuggling network.

The gang, who paid runners £300 per phone, are thought to have smuggled nearly 40,000 stolen devices to China where they can be sold for £4,000.

A near year-long Metropolitan Police investigation uncovered a sophisticated supply chain linking street thieves, handlers and international exporters.

The break in the case came in December 2024 after a suspicious shipment of around 1,000 iPhones bound for Hong Kong was found ready to be glown out of Heathrow Airport.

The discovery triggered Operation Echosteep, bringing in specialist detectives usually tasked with tackling armed robbery and drug smuggling.

Police later intercepted more shipments and used forensic evidence to identify suspects.

On September 23, 2025, officers arrested Amir Muhammad Khadikhel, 35, and Ismat Miakhel, 33, in north-east London.

Hundreds of stolen phones were found in their car, with a further 2,000 devices recovered from linked properties.

A third man, Mansoor Mohammed, 30, was later arrested in connection with the operation.

So far, police have made 14 arrests, seized over 10,000 stolen iPhones, and recovered more than £250,000 in cash. Over 1,000 victims have been reunited with their phones.

Detectives say the gang focused on high-end devices, with thieves paid up to £300 per phone. Some were later sold abroad for as much as £4,000 each.

Commander Andy Featherstone said officers are targeting criminals at every level, adding: ‘We are dismantling networks from street thieves to international exporters.’

Mobile phone theft has dropped by 13,000 offences compared to the previous year, but police say the crackdown is continuing.

The three men appeared at Southwark Crown Court and pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods and involvement in an organised crime group. They will be sentenced on May 12.