Police send out tough message on mobile phone crime
Police will today officially launch a UK-wide crackdown on mobile phone crime.
The £1 million National Mobile Phone Crime Unit has been established to tackle the sharp increase in street crime.
It will be comprised of industry experts, immigration staff, Customs and Excise and 50 police officers.
Over half of all crimes on British streets are mobile phone related.
It is estimated that nearly 200 phones are stolen in England and Wales every day.
Criminal gangs export many of the GSM-enabled phones to Africa, Asia and Europe, police said.
Police say mobile phone theft has reached “epidemic” proportions because of the demand for stolen phones from abroad.
The number of mobile phone users in Britain is now 51 million.
Assistant Commissioner Tim Godwin of the Association of Chief Police Officers said: “Through this joint intelligence picture I am confident that we can go a long way in removing the infrastructures that support these crimes.”
A new “immobilise” campaign will start early next year to collate data on lost or stolen phones.
When a mobile phone is reported missing it will be automatically “blocked” across all UK networks.
