Home / Crime and Justice / Thieves on E-Bikes Steal Hundreds of Phones Daily in London's Lawless Streets
Thieves on E-Bikes Steal Hundreds of Phones Daily in London's Lawless Streets
8 Sep
Summary
- Phone theft epidemic in UK, with over 230 devices stolen daily in 2024
- Thieves on e-bikes snatching phones from unsuspecting pedestrians in London
- Stolen phones fueling global black market, often ending up in China's tech hubs
As of September 9th, 2025, London is grappling with a severe phone theft crisis, with thieves on e-bikes snatching hundreds of devices from unsuspecting pedestrians every day. Last year, over 230 phones were stolen daily across the UK, double the number from five years ago, and the situation is particularly dire in the capital.
These tech-savvy criminals, often working in groups, cruise the streets silently on electric bikes, looking for victims distracted by their phones. In just one hour, one thief managed to steal 24 phones. Once snatched, the devices are quickly hidden in foil-lined bags to block tracking signals, then passed through a complex network of middlemen and organized crime groups before being exported, primarily to China's tech hubs like Shenzhen.
Despite victims' efforts to locate their stolen phones using apps like Find My iPhone, the devices often vanish, only to resurface thousands of miles away. Authorities are struggling to keep up, as the thieves' tactics and the global trade in stolen phones make it extremely difficult to recover the stolen property. However, new laws are set to give police more power to search properties where stolen devices have been traced.
