Crackdown on mobile phone theft epidemic brings 10 arrests in Camden

Ten people have been arrested in Camden today in a blitz on the growing epidemic of mobile phone thefts and related crime.

The crackdown, which is still underway, has so far seen six properties raided by police and 10 people arrested.

Five of the arrests were for robbery and one was for snatch theft. There were also arrests for GBH, assault, possession of class A drugs and one for being drunk and incapable.

Ch Supt BJ Harrington, Camden’s borough commander, said: “This operation today is about using resources in a range of tactics, to stop those people who make our streets an unsafe place to be.

“Crimes like burglary, robbery and theft have a huge impact on those who are victims. By targeting those people responsible, plus the networks they use to sell on stolen property or trade for drugs, we aim to make our streets a hostile place for them to operate, but safer for our law-abiding citizens.”

The numbers of phone snatches has been rising sharply across London in recent years while only last week a mobile phone shop in Hampstead was targeted in an armed robbery.

Three men in orange boiler suits forced their way into Carphone Warehouse in Hampstead High Street as it was shutting last Wednesday, at about 6pm, threatened a member of staff with a knife and stole stock worth thousands of pounds.