London Police Arrest More Than 140 Street Crime Perpetrators In Operation Ahead Of Christmas

Police in the Trafalgar Square area. (Wikimedia Commons/CGP Gray)

JAKARTA - The London Police have arrested more than 140 perpetrators of crimes and anti-social acts in the West End area in an operation to take action in the past week.

More than 100 additional officers were deployed as part of Operation Baselife, a week-long intelligence-led enforcement operation against violations such as cell phone theft, sterilization, violence against women and girls, as well as other antisocial behavior.

This operation is part of increasing police activity at crime-prone points because the Metropolitan Police are targeting the perpetrators of violent crimes.

The British capital in recent years has been plagued by motorcycle thieves who snatched cell phones from suspicious victims, to the " Rolex thief" gang that beat luxury watch owners.

"This operation shows that targeting perpetrators of violent crimes in crime-prone areas is successful. Our intelligence-based approach allows us to double our theft cases in stores and free hundreds of perpetrators from the streets," said Inspector Natasha Evans, who led the Met operation in West End London.

"Through this intensive action, we continue to ensure West End remains a safe and friendly place for residents, business people, and millions of visitors who come here every month," he continued.

"We will double the operation before Christmas, as West End enters one of its busiest periods. Local officers, specialist teams, and technology such as direct facial recognition will focus on areas with the highest crime rates to continue to reduce crime rates," he said.

Among those arrested during Operation Baselife, which lasted for a week since November 3, there were two cell phone thieves acting on an ice skating arena in Leicester Square and two men caught driving a stolen vehicle in Chile.

The operation was carried out with officers working at certain times and places that they believed were the most likely locations for violations, with a team in uniform and undercover working to target perpetrators who often committed violations.

Officers are supported by specialist teams such as "interceptors" who mostly target robbery and theft involving cars, hopes, and electric bicycles. The Marine Police Unit also patrols the Thames River.

Met menyatakan, antara 1 April dan 29 Oktober, petugas berhasil mencapai penurunan dalam beberapa jenis kejahatan di West End dibanding periode yang sama tahun lalu, termasuk kejahatan di lingkungan sekitar yang turun sebesar 20,7 persen, kejahatan dengan pidana turun sebesar 22.3 persen, pengambungan pribadi turun sebesar 14,1 persen, dan pencurian dari kendaraan turun sebesar 19 persen.

According to data compiled by insurance company Square Traded in July, nearly 40 percent of all phone thefts in the company's 12 European markets occurred in the UK, although the UK accounts for only 10 percent of its total European customers.

Last year, London Metropolitan Police said about 80,000 cell phones were stolen in London and so far this year the number has reached 45,000.

The discovery of 1,000 iPhones in a warehouse near London's Heathrow Airport in separate operations earlier this year has uncovered allegations of international smuggling gangs.

The investigation, which began last December, managed to catch street thieves, dealers, and administrators, including two gang leaders from Afghanistan. Police believe they managed to thwart a major criminal network suspected of smuggling up to 40,000 stolen phones from the UK to China in the past 12 months.

It said officers arrested about 1,000 criminals more each month than last year and have solved 92 percent more cases of theft in stores this year.