Apple’s Find My app has played a crucial role in helping UK police take down one of the country’s biggest smartphone theft rings. The investigation began when a theft victim used Find My to locate their stolen iPhone near Heathrow Airport.
Officers found the phone in a warehouse filled with nearly 900 other stolen devices. The discovery led to a series of police raids that exposed a vast network smuggling stolen iPhones overseas.
Police Raid Dozens of Sites Across London
The Metropolitan Police carried out coordinated raids on 28 properties in London and Hertfordshire. Officers arrested 18 people connected to the gang and seized more than 2,000 devices.
Detectives say the operation uncovered an international network that shipped about 40,000 stolen smartphones from the UK to China in just one yearFind My helps police smash majo….
Many of the stolen phones were wrapped in foil to block tracking signals. Three men now face charges for conspiracy to handle stolen goods and conceal criminal property. Fifteen others were also arrested for related crimes.
Why Criminals Target iPhones
Phone theft has become a booming underground business in London. Thieves can earn up to £300 per stolen iPhone, while those same devices can sell for as much as £4,000 in China. Officials say some criminals are even switching from drug dealing to phone theft because it’s safer and more profitable.
Lawmakers Demand Tech Firms Do More
London Mayor Sadiq Khan praised the police operation but urged tech companies to go further in preventing phone theft. He called on Apple and others to make stolen devices completely unusable.
Apple already uses security tools like Activation Lock and parts pairing to prevent stolen phones from being reused. Critics argue that the government’s past pressure to relax those measures made the problem worse.
With police forces facing funding cuts, Find My has proven that technology can play a key role in modern policing—and help turn the tide against organized phone theft.
