The Metropolitan Police have arrested 46 people after disrupting a criminal network suspected of smuggling up to 40,000 stolen phones from the UK to China.

A months-long investigation began last December when a box on its way to Hong Kong was found at a warehouse near Heathrow Airport containing around 1,000 iPhones.

Officers discovered almost all of the phones had been stolen, the force said. It then launched Operation Echosteep, bringing in specialist detectives to track down the suspects.

They intercepted further shipments and used forensics to identify two men in their 30s, who were arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods on 23 September. They have since been charged and remanded in custody.

A number of phones were found in the men’s car and around 2,000 more devices were found at properties linked to them, the Met Police said.

Detective Inspector Mark Gavin, the senior investigating officer for Operation Echosteep, said: “This group specifically targeted Apple products because of their profitability overseas.

“We discovered street thieves were being paid up to £300 per handset and uncovered evidence of devices being sold for up to $5,000 (£3,700) in China.”

Police call on phone manufacturers to do more

Commander Andrew Featherstone, the Met’s lead for tackling phone theft, has described the operation as “the largest crackdown on mobile phone theft and robbery in the UK”.

He continued: “We’ve shown how serious we are about tackling this issue, but we need more help from the industry.

“We’re calling on phone manufacturers such as Apple and Samsung to do more to support us and protect their customers – especially around phone security and re-use.”

A total of 46 people have been arrested during two weeks of what the force has described as “targeted and precise activity”.

These include the arrests of 11 people during an operation targeting gangs robbing courier vans delivering the new iPhone 17 and the arrest of two men in their 30s – on suspicion of money laundering and handling stolen goods – after officers recovered almost £40,000 in cash at a phone shop in north London.

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Another man was charged with handling stolen goods after being stopped with 10 suspected stolen phones at Heathrow Airport on 20 September.

Further enquiries revealed the man – who also had two iPads, two laptops and two Rolex watches – had travelled between London and Algeria more than 200 times in two years, the force said.

London mayor Sadiq Khan said it is “simply too easy and profitable” for criminals “making millions by repurposing stolen phones and selling them abroad”.

“I will continue to call on the mobile phone industry to go harder and faster in designing out this crime by making stolen devices unusable,” he said. “We need coordinated global action to shut down this trade and build a safer London for everyone.”

Sir Keir Starmer has condemned plans for pro-Palestine protests two years to the day since the October 7 attacks on Israel, labelling them “un-British”.

Writing in The Times, the prime minister said demonstrations set to take place at several universities today showed a lack of respect for others, claiming previous rallies had been used by some as a “despicable excuse to attack British Jews”.

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In a statement marking the second anniversary of the Hamas attack, when 1,200 people were killed and 251 others taken hostage, Sir Keir said the UK’s Jewish communities had “endured rising antisemitism” since then – including last week’s attack on a synagogue in Manchester, in which two worshippers were killed.

Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, died in the attack at Heaton Park synagogue in Crumpsall on Thursday.

‘A stain on who we are’

Mr Daulby, a member of the congregation, was shot accidentally when police fired on attacker Jihad al Shamie.

The synagogue’s rabbi told Sky News it happened as Mr Daulby “was holding the doors to make sure everyone inside stayed safe”.

The family of Mr Cravitz – a worshipper at the synagogue who police originally stated was a security guard – said he would “do anything to help anyone”.

Sir Keir described the attack as “horrifying”, adding: “This is a stain on who we are, and this country will always stand tall and united against those who wish harm and hatred upon Jewish communities.”

Ministers had urged protesters to rethink attending a rally in support of the banned group Palestine Action over the weekend, given its proximity to the synagogue attack.

It went ahead, and nearly 500 people were arrested.

Police have since been given new powers to impose conditions upon repeat protests.

‘A living nightmare’

Of October 7, the prime minister said it was “the worst attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust”.

“The brutal, cold-blooded torture and murder of Jews in their own homes.

“And the taking of hostages, including British citizens, some of whom remain in Gaza today.

“Since that awful day, so many have endured a living nightmare. When I spoke with some of the families of the British hostages, I promised them in person that we will not cease in our efforts to bring their loved ones home.”

PM welcomes Trump’s peace efforts

In his statement, Sir Keir also spoke about the government’s priorities in the Middle East, which he said included releasing the hostages, getting more aid into Gaza, and a ceasefire “that can lead to a lasting and just peace as a step towards a two-state solution”.

The government last month recognised Palestine as a state to “revive the hope of peace”.

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He said he welcomed US efforts to mediate a deal between Israel and Hamas. Officials from both sides wrapped up initial talks at an Egyptian resort on Monday, regarding the terms proposed by Donald Trump last week.

Mr Trump’s 20-point peace plan includes the disarmament of Hamas, which would have no role in Gaza’s future governance. The US president would lead an interim administration with the help of Sir Tony Blair, among others.

He has demanded Israel stop bombing Gaza, though airstrikes have continued.

Israel’s war on Hamas has now killed more than 67,000 people in Gaza, most of them civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians or combatants.

Antisemitism ‘a terrible scourge’

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch also criticised pro-Palestine protests in a statement marking the October 7 anniversary, claiming some “turn into hate marches on our streets”.

She said the government’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state “has rewarded the terrorists that perpetrated the October 7 atrocities”.

“Appeasement does not work,” she said, adding: “There are still 48 hostages held captive in Gaza. They must come home now.”

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey described antisemitism as a “terrible scourge” and said: “We stand in solidarity with British Jews, the people of Israel and Jewish communities around the world against terrorism, and against antisemitism in all its forms.”

Of the peace talks, he added: “We desperately hope that they will finally see the hostages returned home to their families, a lasting bilateral ceasefire, Hamas out of power in Gaza for good – and set us on the path to a two-state solution that offers both Israelis and Palestinians the peace and security they deserve.”