Find My IPhone Help Police Unload Syndicate Of Smuggling 40,000 Phones To China

JAKARTA - The Find My iPhone feature has succeeded in helping British police uncover criminal syndicates suspected of smuggling up to 40,000 stolen phones from the UK to China in the past year. The operation, known as the largest operation against cell phone theft in the UK, began when a victim tracked his stolen iPhone to a warehouse near Heathrow airport, London.

According to a BBC News report, police found the iPhone in a box with 8894 other phones in the warehouse. This discovery sparked further investigations, leading to the detention of 18 suspects and the confiscation of more than 2,000 stolen cell phones. London Metropolitan Police expects the syndicate to be responsible for exports of up to half of the total stolen phones in London, which is a hub for cell phone theft in the UK.

The police then intercepted another shipment to the same address and managed to identify the two suspects through DNA found in the package. Through a combination of information about the suspect's colleagues and covert surveillance, the police raided 28 locations and found thousands of stolen phones.

British Police Minister Sarah Jones revealed that cell phone theft is now a very profitable business, even exceeding drug trafficking.

"We heard that some criminals switched from selling drugs to the mobile phone business because it was more profitable," he said. He added that one stolen phone could be worth hundreds of pounds, making it an easy target for criminals.

This syndicate is known to specifically target Apple products because of the high selling value in overseas markets. According to police, street thieves are paid up to 300 pounds (around Rp. 6.1 million) per cellphone, while stolen phones are sold in China at a price of 4,000 pounds (around Rp. 82 million) per unit. This is because the phone remains online and more attractive to buyers who want to avoid internet sensors in China.

Phones are often stolen in unlocked conditions, especially when users are using them on the streets. Although Apple has introduced protection features such as Activation Lock and Stolen Device Protection, the syndicate is thought to be able to overcome the feature by keeping the phone on and off-lock. This allows phones to remain high-value in the international market, especially as they are not tied to local security settings.

This operation shows how technology like Find My iPhone can be an important tool in fighting organized crime, as well as uncovering a large scale of phone theft targeting global markets.