Gangs are recruiting children to go out to steal smartphones before they head to school, using Snapchat to offer rewards of up to £380 for the latest Apple iPhones, police have revealed.
The Metropolitan police said they were deploying new resources including drones and Surron ebikes to chase suspects as they step up their fight against phone snatching.
London is the area in Britain most plagued by phone theft and the Met has been criticised for its response.
The force said thefts were down 12% in the last year to 71,000, but the commissioner, Mark Rowley, wants technology companies – especially Apple – to do more to make phones harder to reactivate when stolen and shipped overseas.
Gangs are using Snapchat to advertise a menu of cash rewards for different models of stolen mobile phones, enticing children as young as 14 on bikes to act as thieves.
Gangs offer the most money for the newest Apple phones, which the Met believes are less protected and thus easier to ship overseas and to reactivate for markets in the Gulf and China.
The Met said Samsung phones were worth less because they were harder to reactivate for use overseas.
Once phones are stolen, child thieves message a “handler” on Snapchat to arrange a drop-off. Bonuses of an extra £100 are offered if 10 or more stolen phones are handed over in one drop.
In one recent case, police said a teenager was heading out on a bike early in the morning to attack commuters around a main London transport hub before heading to school.
One Snapchat flyer recovered by police offered £380 for an iPhone 16 Max, £220 for an iPhone 15 and as little as £20 for an iPhone 12.
Rowley said the courts could do more to help by stopping bailing repeat offenders. In one recent case, police said a group of 12 youths were arrested and charged with phone thefts. The next day some were bailed, and within 24 hours of their arrest they were suspected of being back stealing phones.
Rowley said: “Policing alone cannot solve this problem. Manufacturers and tech companies must do more to stop criminals being able to reset, reuse or resell stolen phones.
“We also need the courts to play their part by preventing repeat offenders being bailed only to go out and offend again, undermining the hard work officers are doing to keep communities safe.”
The Met said drones would help target known offenders and track suspects as they flee, with a particular focus on London’s West End, which is the capital’s main phone theft hotspot, with tourists seen by thieves as easier targets.
The Surron ebikes, ridden by specially trained officers, will help officers catch up with young suspects on bikes, the Met hopes.
The force also said live facial recognition technology had played a part in catching offenders and would continue to be used.
The London mayor, Sadiq Khan, said his administration was pumping in an extra £4.5m for a new command centre.
“Far too many Londoners have been the victim of phone theft and I’m determined to stamp it out,” Khan said.
“We have made real progress reducing high-volume crime – but I recognise the personal impact of mobile phone theft and how awful it is when someone’s photographs, contacts, messages and personal information is stolen.
“I’m pleased to propose an additional £4.5m to help the Metropolitan police smash the phone gangs – with a new police command cell focused on taking out gang bosses as well as robbers and snatchers.”
