Three men behind what has been described as the UK’s largest mobile smuggling network have been jailed after trafficking up to 40,000 stolen phones to China.
Amir Muhammad Khadikhel, Ismat Miakhel and Mansoor Mohammed were responsible for around 40% of all stolen phones trafficked from London to China in 2024 and 2025. They received combined prison sentences totalling 25 years at Southwark Crown Court.
Operation Echosteep investigation
The investigation began in December 2024, when a box containing around 1,000 iPhones being shipped to Hong Kong was found at a warehouse near Heathrow Airport. Officers discovered that almost all the phones had been stolen, prompting the launch of Operation Echosteep.
Specialist detectives intercepted shipments and used forensic evidence found on the packages to identify Khadikhel and Miakhel. Officers arrested both men in north-east London on 23 September 2025 on suspicion of handling stolen goods. They were later charged and remanded in custody.
Several hundred phones were recovered from their car, while a further 2,000 devices were seized from properties linked to them. The investigation later identified Mohammed, of Wood Green, as being involved, and he was subsequently arrested and charged.
Sentences for the three men
Khadikhel, aged 35, was sentenced to nine and a half years after being convicted of conspiracy to receive stolen mobile phones, conspiracy to transfer or export stolen mobile phones, and participating in the activities of an organised crime group.
Miakhel, aged 33, was sentenced to nine years after being convicted of the same three offences. Mohammed, aged 30, was sentenced to six and a half years after being convicted of conspiracy to receive stolen mobile phones and participating in the activities of an organised crime group.
The three men pleaded guilty. The case forms part of the Metropolitan Police’s largest-ever operation targeting mobile phone theft.
Police response to phone theft
Commander Andy Featherstone, the Metropolitan Police’s lead for tackling mobile phone theft, said the sentences sent a clear message that people who steal phones would be pursued by police.
He also said phone theft had fallen by a fifth in 2026, resulting in thousands fewer victims, and that police would continue targeting thieves, handlers and exporters driving the crime.
Metropolitan Police officers have been using drones, high-powered e-bikes, live facial recognition and specialist teams to target London hotspots where phone thieves are known to operate. The force reports that phone theft and robbery offences in Westminster have fallen by almost 50%.
Source: Metro News
