Apple's 'Find My iPhone' Feature Helps Unearth Massive Smartphone Smuggling Ring

Authorities in the U.K. recently cracked down on a massive smartphone smuggling ring responsible for sending 40,000 devices from London to China every year. The big break in the case came from a single victim who decided to track their stolen iPhone using the device's 'Find My' feature. As reported by the BBC, the victim logged into their iCloud account and tracked their stolen iPhone to a warehouse close to Heathrow Airport. The victim then contacted local authorities. From there, the investigation snowballed and ultimately led to the recovery of thousands of smartphones, dozens of raids, and the arrest of 46 individuals.

After the victim initially contacted the police, they tracked down the phone and found it in a box alongside 894 other devices, most of them iPhones. Realizing that this was a large smuggling operation, the authorities set out to ascertain the full extent of the criminal enterprise. This effort involved forensics to identify suspects, raids on properties owned by the suspects, and once enough evidence was gathered, the arrest of those involved. In one instance, two suspects were arrested while in possession of 2,000 stolen devices. Interestingly, those devices were wrapped in foil to create a low-end Faraday cage capable of blocking cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth signals, which makes tracking difficult or impossible.

"This is the largest crackdown on mobile phone theft and robbery in the UK," Commander Andrew Featherstone said in an interview. "We dismantled criminal networks at every level, from street thieves to international export operations moving tens of thousands of devices each year." Speaking to the scope of the smuggling ring, authorities believe that the ring might have been exporting "40% of all the phones stolen in London."

Although the iPhone has several features designed to discourage theft — with Find My and Activation Lock being two examples — the iPhone remains a popular target for thieves. As a prime example, smartphone thefts have been on the rise in London over the past few years. Data from the Metropolitan Police Service reveals that there were 80,000 smartphone thefts in London in 2024. In 2021, smartphone thefts were somewhere in the 30,000 range.

Notably, similar smartphone theft rings have recently been busted in the U.S. as well. Just eight months ago, for example, thirteen individuals in New Jersey were arrested for stealing thousands of smartphones and shipping them overseas or selling them at discreet locations in New York City.

"These defendants are alleged to have worked together as part of an international ring to steal thousands of expensive electronic devices, which caused millions of dollars of losses to the victims," First Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of New Jersey, Vikas Khanna, said at the time. "They are alleged to have done so by harnessing technology through the use of computer scripts which gave them access to shipping information, including individuals' names and their home addresses."

It's worth adding that new iPhone releases often provide thieves with a relatively easy way to swipe devices as they often try to steal shipped packages left on porches and outside of homes. Consequently, it's not a bad idea to require a signature upon delivery if you're ordering an iPhone online.