Vithanage Erandi Kawshalya Madhushani Jade Times Staff
V.E.K. Madhushani is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Israel - Gaza War.
Thousands Impacted by Rising Snatch Thefts in London, with Devices Tracked Across Continents
Early on a Saturday morning in April, Akara Etteh was checking his phone as he exited Holborn tube station in central London. Within moments, the device was snatched by a thief riding on the back of an electric bike. Despite giving chase, Akara was unable to recover his phone. He became one of an estimated 78,000 victims of snatch thefts in England and Wales in the year leading to March, marking a significant rise from the previous year.
The prosecution rate for these offenses remains notably low, with police stating they are targeting offenders but acknowledging that arrests alone will not solve the problem. Authorities emphasize the need for manufacturers and tech companies to play a larger role in addressing the issue. Victims often report losing not just expensive devices but irreplaceable personal memories and even substantial amounts of money.
For Akara, like many others whose phones are stolen, the frustration did not end with the theft itself. Utilizing the Find My iPhone feature, he tracked his phone’s location around London shortly after it was stolen. The device initially pinged in Islington and later in various spots around north London. Driven by adrenaline and anger, Akara visited some of these locations but found it too risky and ultimately unproductive.
“I am really angry,” Akara said. “The phone is expensive. We work hard to earn that money, to be able to buy the handset, and someone else says 'screw that'.” By May, about a month after the theft, Akara checked the location of his phone once more, only to find it had traveled across the globe to Shenzhen, China, a tech hub known for its vast electronics markets where stolen phones are often disassembled for parts if they cannot be unlocked.
Initially, Akara reported the theft to police officers he saw on the street. They were aware of the pattern of thieves making rounds in the area and advised him to report the incident online, which he did. Days later, the Metropolitan Police informed him via email that his case was closed as it was deemed unlikely that those responsible would be identified. Although Akara provided additional information and photos from his tracking efforts, there was no further action taken.
The Metropolitan Police, while declining to comment on Akara’s specific case, stated that they are focusing resources on hotspot areas such as Westminster, Lambeth, and Newham with increased patrols and plainclothes officers to deter criminals and be more visible to the community.
Akara’s experience is not unique. Many others have shared their stories of having their phones stolen, resulting in significant financial losses and emotional tolls. James O’Sullivan, 44, from Surrey, reported losing more than £25,000 after thieves accessed his stolen phone’s Apple Pay service. Katie Ashworth, from Newcastle, had her phone, watch, and debit card stolen while in a park. More than the financial loss, Katie mourned the disappearance of the last photos of her mother, taken on a walk before her health deteriorated.
"The saddest thing was that the phone contained the last photos I had of my mum on a walk before she got too unwell to really do anything. I would do anything to get those photos back," Katie said.
Despite having evidence of the thefts, including bank transactions that pinpointed where the thieves used her cards, Katie experienced a lack of follow-up from the police. “The police never even followed it up with me," she noted. "They just told me to check Facebook Marketplace and local second-hand shops.”
The rising number of snatch thefts, combined with the low prosecution rates and challenges in retrieving stolen devices, highlights a growing problem for authorities, manufacturers, and victims alike. As stolen phones continue to find their way across borders, the call for better preventive measures and more robust responses remains urgent.
