More than 500 suspected stolen mobile phones have been recovered during a police raid at a shop in north-west London.
Officers from the Metropolitan Police carried out the operation at a convenience store on Kilburn High Road as part of ongoing work across North West London to tackle theft and organised crime linked to mobile phones.
Four men, aged 22, 25, 34 and 63, were arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods, possession of drugs and intent to supply.
Police said the seizure forms part of a wider crackdown on mobile phone theft, with officers using intelligence and technology including drones and high-powered Sur-Ron electric bikes to target offenders and disrupt the market for stolen devices.
As part of this approach, the Met says mobile phone theft offences in London have reduced by 10,000 in the past year.
Image: Met Police
Inspector Yu Zhang, from the Met’s local policing team in Brent, said: “We understand mobile phone theft remains a major concern for Londoners and that’s why we have worked hard to drive down offending.
“Seizures such as this show that we are not only targeting individual phone snatchers, but also those who handle and profit from stolen devices.
“Londoners deserve to feel safe and we are committed to relentlessly disrupting the organised criminal networks fuelling this crime”
The warrant was carried out after intelligence suggested the shop was also being used to supply Class B drugs.
Three of the suspects have been released on bail, while one has been released under investigation.
The raid formed part of a coordinated week of action in Brent focusing on theft, robbery and e-bike related crime.
Earlier this year, officers carried out four weeks of intensified activity across London, resulting in 248 arrests and the recovery of 770 stolen phones.
Four people accused of handling stolen mobile phones are due to go on trial later this month.
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