In another shocking incident of phone snatching, two moped-riding thieves have been caught on camera stealing the mobile of an unsuspecting commuter.
In a video captured by an onlooker and posted to social media, the thugs, dressed in all black, are initially seen whizzing along a street on their mopeds before slowing down at a crossroad.
While the two moped-riders decelerate, a suspecting walker turns around, points and shouts something unclear at the thieves, who turn and dismissively wave their hands in response just moments before committing their crime.
As the walker cries ‘thief, thief, thief’ from the other side of the crossing, one of the brazen phone snatchers is then seen veering onto the pavement before grabbing the mobile of an unwary commuter, who momentarily turns and runs after the rider.
The victim, however, watches longingly as the thieves speed off with his device.
After viewing the worrying footage, X-users took to the comments section to express their shock at a crime which has become all too common in the capital.
‘London is cursed! We need to stop this nonsense,’ wrote one user.
Another commented: ‘You simple don’t bring your phone out on a busy London street.’
The two thieves are seen whizzing down a road on their mopeds before snatching an unknowing commuter’s phone (Credit: Instagram/veras__021)
As the thieves decelerate at a crossroad, a suspecting walker turns around, points and shouts something unclear at the thieves (Credit: Instagram/veras__021)
The victim watched longingly as the thieves whizzed off around the corner with his phone (Credit: Instagram/veras__021)
Speeding around corners on electric scooters and bikes, gangs of phone grabbing criminals have stolen thousands of devices in recent years as part of a £50million-a-year crimewave.
Since October 2020, cases of phone theft in the capital had been steadily increasing. Between October 2023 and September 2024, a shocking 66,528 phones were stolen in London, according to statistics produced by the Met Police.
But in recent months, the London police force have attempted to crack down on cases of phone-snatching by monitoring CCTV footage, increasing officers’ awareness and ’employing’ traffic units and surge teams.
And such strategies have seen positive results, with a 27% decrease in cases reported in November 2024 and a 43% decrease the following month.
Despite such successes, however, Kaya Comer-Schwartz, London’s Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, affirmed that there is ‘more to do’ to tackle the problem.
Between October 2023 and September 2024, a shocking 66,528 phones were stolen in London, according to statistics produced by the Met Police
In recent months, new strategies deployed by the Metropolitan Police aimed at tackling phone theft has brought about positive results
‘There is still more to do,’ however in tackling the surge of phone theft which is plaguing London’s streets
‘As the criminal demand for high-value mobile phones continues to grow globally, the Mayor and I are clear that companies must go further and faster to make it harder for stolen phones to be sold on, repurposed and re-used illegally,’ she said.
‘We’ll continue to work with leading mobile phone companies, the Home Secretary and Met leaders to find innovative solutions to end the scourge of mobile phone crime.
‘The success in tackling phone thefts comes after the Met moved out of special measures last month, following major improvements in many areas of service to London.
‘These include responding more quickly to emergencies and strengthening neighbourhood policing to better respond to communities’ concerns, including tackling theft and robberies.
‘The Met is urging anyone who has lost or had stolen a phone to use the national mobile phone register so recovered handsets can be restored, via The Police National Mobile Property Register.’
