National Operation Tackling Mobile Phone Theft and Associated Crime

National Operation Tackling Mobile Phone Theft and Associated Crime

In September, officers from Tower Hamlets Neighbourhood policing teams, supported by Trading Standards officers from Tower Hamlets Council’s Regulatory Services, took part in a national operation tackling mobile phone-related crime.

As part of the operation, the neighbourhood police teams took part in:

Intelligence led high visibility patrols

Proactive plain clothes patrols

Operations targeting phone snatch offences and illegal e-bikes

Joint visits with Tower Hamlets Council Trading Standards officers to shops that bought or sold second hand phones.

Partnership working to identify outstanding suspects

As a result of this work:

29 shops were visited

291 phones had their IMEI number checked, which can help identify if a phone is stolen or not

1 stolen phone recovered

3 phones seized for investigation

3 arrests

60 wraps of class A recovered - 1 male arrested and charged with a drugs supply offence

5 laptops recovered that were stolen from a school burglary

£6,000+ worth of counterfeit goods, including mobile phone cases and accessories, children’s backpacks and keyrings, unsafe international travel adapters and illicit tobacco seized

A quantity of illicit cigarettes seized

A large amount of drugs paraphernalia seized and investigation started into the shop owner

E-bikes operation – 5 bikes and 1 scooter seized, 5 riders prosecuted and one person arrested

Identified 8 suspects who were previously unknown from already reported offences

Cllr Kabir Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Public Protection and Integrated Enforcement, said: “We work in partnership with police to ensure that those committing crimes in our borough are brought to justice.
“Thank you to the Met Police and the council’s teams for these excellent results.”

DCI Michelle Peters, the BCU policing lead for Op Reckoning, said:

“Our people, working alongside our partners, are committed to making a real difference for our communities. By working together, sharing information and taking coordinated action, we can tackle the issues that cause the greatest harm and make our communities safer.”

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Hedayatul Islam
(Metropolitan Police, PCSO, Whitechapel SNT)