Dozens arrested during phone theft intensification week - London

Dozens of phone thieves and robbers were arrested during a week of intensified patrols and activity on the London transport network to deter phone theft and disrupt criminal activity.

The operation, dubbed Op Reckoning, saw intensified patrols across London as the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), City of London Police, and British Transport Police (BTP) joined forces to tackle the scourge of phone thefts and robberies.

During BTP’s operations, 21 arrests were made including 10 for phone theft or robbery. A further 11 were arrested for various offences including drug and immigration offences, as well as breach of bail conditions. There were 43 stop searches, with 25 yielding positive results and four weapons seized.  

On Thursday 23 January, officers responded to a report of a group of teenagers being robbed of their belongings, including two phones and a jacket. Officers attended and arrested three teenagers, one of whom was wearing the recently stolen jacket.

Officers were then able to track down the outstanding phone to a home address, making another arrest and recovering all stolen property.

The day before, on Wednesday 22 January, a teenager was arrested at his home after being identified as a suspect in an attempted smartphone robbery between Wandsworth Common railway station and Clapham Junction railway station in December.

In a separate incident on Monday, 20 January, an off-duty MPS officer intervened when a man attempted a snatch theft at Brent Cross West railway station as the train doors closed.

The officer arrested the man on suspicion of robbery, and while waiting for other officers to arrive, the man kicked a member of railway staff in the stomach. He was further arrested on suspicion of assault and public order offences. While in custody, he was linked to several other robberies.

Alongside the joint operation with the Metropolitan Police and City of London Police, BTP ran a week-long operation at Finsbury Park and adjoining underground stations dubbed Op Freide with the aim of driving all forms of crime away from the area.

During the operation, 14 people were arrested, including six for theft and two for the possession of bladed or offensive weapons.

On Tuesday, 21 January, BTP’s Violent Crime Task Force (VCTF) were patrolling at Seven Sisters when they spotted a man dressed in full black clothing with a face covering smelling of cannabis.

Officers stopped him, asking if he had anything on him. He admitted to having drugs on him before saying that he may or may not have had a knife as well.

After a search, a flick knife was recovered along with two phones as well as a large quantity of Class A and B drugs alongside cash. A later search of his house uncovered around £11,000 to £13,000 in bundles of cash alongside several phones and two more knives.

Chief Inspector Liam Kelly, who oversaw Op Reckoning for BTP, said: “The public’s safety is our number one priority, and we are working hard to detect and deter phone theft and robbery on the railway network.

“Our increased operational activity, guided by enhanced intelligence work, has made the railway a hostile environment for offenders which has seen rates of robbery decrease compared to last year.

“The public will continue to see regular patrols of uniformed officers alongside our specially trained plain-clothed officers as we continue to tackle the scourge of phone theft and robbery.”

Inspector Nicola Outen, who organised and oversaw Op Freide, said: “I’m very pleased with the results from our operations – robbery and theft will never be tolerated on the network, and we are committed to ensuring the railway is a safe and secure environment for everyone.

“Our operations can take place at anytime and anywhere, and we will continue to work closely with our policing partners and partners in the railway industry to make our communities and the railway network safer.”