A targeted Met Police operation in south-west London has led to the arrest of six teenagers linked to an organised phone snatching gang, with robbery and theft in hotspot areas falling by up to 84 per cent in just three months.
The swoop formed part of the Home Office’s Safer Summer Streets campaign, which has seen officers focus resources on crime hotspots across the capital.
On Wednesday, August 27, warrants were carried out at seven addresses in Battersea, leading to the arrests of six young men aged between 17 and 19. Officers seized several suspected stolen phones, a motorbike, a Rambo knife and drugs.
All six were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit robbery, conspiracy to commit theft and fraud. A 19-year-old man from Wandsworth was also held on suspicion of possessing a bladed article and cannabis. They have been bailed until 25 November.
The arrests were part of Operation Roar, an intelligence-led crackdown introduced in May 2025. More than 90 officers, along with local council anti-social behaviour teams, have been involved in the initiative, which has also deployed high-speed police e-bikes to chase down suspects.
Since May, the operation has led to 20 arrests, including seven members of another organised gang operating in Brixton, Lambeth, Stockwell and Wandsworth.
Police said robbery in Nine Elms has dropped by 72 per cent, while Battersea Park and Shaftesbury and Queenstown wards have seen reductions of 46 and 45 per cent respectively. Snatch thefts have also fallen – by 36 per cent in Nine Elms, 31 per cent in Battersea Park and 32 per cent in Shaftesbury and Queenstown.
Inspector Rich Nuttall, who leads neighbourhood policing in Battersea, said: “We are proactively targeting crime that matters most to the people of Battersea and Nine Elms. This latest wave of activity is part of our relentless and continued crackdown on phone snatchers in the area – going after the perpetrators who continually target our local communities on an almost daily basis.
“Thanks to the hard work of officers, we’ve been able to arrest six more individuals linked to numerous phone theft offences, with an extensive investigation now underway to bring charges and convictions against them.
“Operations such as this play a crucial role in helping us remove dangerous criminals from our streets whose offending brings misery and fear to those we serve, and I hope this latest action provides further reassurance that we are coming down hard on phone thieves.”
The campaign comes as town centres and busy areas across London see an enhanced police presence throughout the summer. Between 30 June and 10 August, police made 1,376 arrests in 20 hotspot areas – up by a third compared with last year – while the number of solved cases rose by 176 per cent.
The Met said the intensified action is part of wider work with the Mayor of London to boost local neighbourhood policing, strengthen partnerships and rebuild public trust.
