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Hundreds arrested for stealing phones in London
More than 200 people have been arrested in the past four weeks as part of a phone theft crackdown in London - with drones and facial recognition used to catch those responsible.
The Metropolitan Police said officers had made 248 arrests for stealing mobiles and seized about 770 devices, with a further 122 people arrested for other offences as part of a wider effort. Commander Andrew Featherstone revealed "cutting-edge" technology like drones, e-bikes, and live facial recognition had been used "to identify and arrest suspects quickly".
"These tactics are delivering results," he added. Year-on-year, the force said the number of recorded phone thefts had fallen by almost 10,000 - going from 81,365 in 2024, to 71,391 last year.
In hot spots like the West End, phone theft is down by 30%. Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said fewer Londoners were "facing the stress, cost, and disruption that comes with having their phone stolen" - but called on the courts to stop releasing repeat offenders.
Some phone thieves are being bailed "only to go out and offend again.
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