UK Leads Europe in Phone Theft Surge as Gangs Dump Drugs for iPhones

The United Kingdom has emerged as Europe’s hotspot for mobile phone theft, with new data revealing that nearly two out of every five stolen phones across 12 European countries are taken in Britain.

According to figures compiled by U.S.-based insurance firm SquareTrade, 39% of all mobile phone theft claims in its European market originated from the UK.

This is despite the fact that British customers make up only 10% of the company’s client base in the region.

The disproportionate number of thefts suggests the UK is experiencing a particularly acute problem with mobile crime.

The data also indicates that the situation is worsening.

Since June 2021, phone theft claims in the UK have soared by an alarming 425%.

A significant concentration of these crimes occurs in the capital, 42% of UK phone thefts were reported in London alone, amounting to 16% of all such incidents across SquareTrade’s entire European customer base.

This wave of thefts has sparked growing alarm among both the public and law enforcement.

Police say criminal gangs are increasingly turning to phone snatching as a more lucrative and lower-risk alternative to drug trafficking.

The Metropolitan Police estimate that approximately 80,000 phones were stolen in London last year.

The combined street value of these devices are said to be reaching around £20 million.

iPhones, in particular, are among the most commonly targeted items due to their high resale value.

Metropolitan Police Commander James Conway, who leads efforts to combat phone theft, explained that organised gangs, many of which are also involved in drug distribution networks, are increasingly shifting their operations to theft and robbery.

He pointed to international demand for high-end smartphones as a major driver behind this trend.

“These are the same groups that operate county lines drug networks,” Conway noted.

“But many now see phone theft as a faster way to make more money with fewer legal consequences.

The risk of severe punishment is significantly lower for theft than it is for drug trafficking, especially for young offenders.”

Conway added that the lighter sentencing guidelines for theft compared to drug offences make phone snatching particularly appealing to younger members of criminal gangs.

“When you compare the potential sentences, it’s no surprise that some are choosing to steal phones over dealing drugs,” he said.

In response to the surge in thefts, police are urging major tech firms to do more to deter criminals.

One key suggestion is for manufacturers to implement measures that would make stolen phones harder to resell.

These measures include disabling cloud services remotely to render devices less valuable to thieves.

Both Google and Apple representatives were questioned on the issue during a recent hearing before the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee.

Company officials maintained that current security systems are already robust.

Simon Wingrove, a software engineering manager at Google, stated that Google’s protocols are highly effective in protecting customer data and preventing unauthorised access to stolen phones.

Similarly, Gary Davis, a senior director of regulatory and legal affairs at Apple, acknowledged the seriousness of the issue.

However, he also expressed concern about unintended consequences.

He warned that granting the power to remotely delete or disable accounts could be exploited by bad actors to extort or blackmail victims.

Davis added that Apple has made significant investments to bolster device security.

“We’ve spent hundreds of millions of dollars on technology designed to protect our customers from phone theft,” he told the committee.

Despite these technological safeguards, police argue that more needs to be done to curb the demand for stolen phones, particularly in overseas markets.

Until then, they say, gangs will continue to exploit the low risks and high rewards associated with this growing criminal enterprise.

As thefts rise sharply and enforcement struggles to keep pace, the call for stronger collaboration between tech companies, law enforcement, and policymakers is becoming more urgent.

Without collective action, the UK’s mobile phone theft epidemic is likely to worsen.

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