Five men are in custody in south London after Met officers raided an address and seized hundreds of stolen mobile phones in Brockley on Wednesday, 3 January.
The five men – aged between 20 and 50 – were all arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods.
The arrests come after a lengthy Met investigation where officers used covert tactics to gather evidence and build a case against those suspected of handling mobile phones stolen following robberies and thefts across Lewisham, Greenwich and Southwark.
During the search of the property, officers discovered multiple bags containing hundreds of phones, many of which were packaged in foil bricks.
Officers have been working around the clock and have already identified that some of these phones have been stolen in recent robberies and thefts across the city. As officers continue to work on this investigation over the coming days and weeks, it is anticipated that this will be the case for the overwhelming majority.
Detective Constable Callen Fahey, from the South East Command Unit, said:
“Yesterday’s arrests will play a significant role in disrupting mobile phone robbery and theft in south London, and keeping our communities safe.
“Our decisive action sends a clear message that we will not tolerate this kind of criminality – which can have a long-lasting impact on victims – and those responsible will be caught.
“We will continue to target criminals and our officers remain committed to tackling robbery and violent crime in our city.”
Many of the seized phones have been tracked to other countries, including China, Hong Kong and Algeria – with investigating officers believing that some of these phones may belong to students or visiting tourists.
+ Officers will continue to offer advice to communities as they crackdown on robbery and theft, and people are advised to look at the Met’s website which includes steps to help prevent people from becoming a victim of crime and what to do following a theft or robbery.
– Always be aware of your mobile and your whereabouts and act accordingly. When you have finished, put it away.
– Ensure you retain a record of your phone’s IMEI number. This is a 15-digit unique number which can be obtained by keying in *#06#. You need this information if the phone is lost or stolen. Do not keep a note of it on your phone as it defeats the object.
– Use your device’s security features, apps or PIN locking mechanisms to protect your data and prevent the phone being used if stolen.
– Consider installing a tracker app on your smartphone, which are readily available online. If your mobile’s ever stolen, act promptly.
