Essex man on police 'most wanted' list named as phone snatching gang member

The gang sent up to 40,000 stolen phones abroad to China

A phone smuggler from Walthamstow has pleaded guilty after sending thousands of snatched phones to China. The man is one of three who were most wanted by Met Police for stealing nearly half of all stolen phones in London. Ismat Miakhel, 33, of The Drive, Walthamstow pleaded guilty for his involvement in an organised crime network which sent up to 40,000 phones abroad in one year. He also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to remove stolen goods.

The haul is believed to account for around 40 per cent of all phones stolen in London during that period. It is believed to be one of the Met’s largest-ever operations targeting mobile phone theft. Commander Andy Featherstone, the Met’s lead for tackling mobile phone theft, said: “We are dismantling criminal networks at every level – from street thieves to international exporters – making hundreds of arrests and recovering thousands of stolen phones.

“Mobile phone theft is down by 13,000 offences compared with the previous financial year, but we are not letting up. We are using every tool available, including data‑led intelligence, specialist investigative teams, drones, high‑powered e‑bikes, live facial recognition, and more officers on the beat to tackle phone thieves.”

The investigation started in December 2024 when a box containing around a thousand iPhones being shipped to Hong Kong was found at a warehouse near Heathrow Airport. Officers discovered almost all of the phones had been stolen. On Tuesday, September 23, 2025 officers arrested Miakhel on the Essex border on suspicion of handling stolen goods. Several hundred phones were recovered from his car and that of his two accomplices. Thousands more were seized from properties linked to the men.

Officers recovered more than 10,000 stolen iPhones and seized over £250,000 in illicit cash. More than 1,000 victims have been reunited with their stolen phones.

Detective Inspector Mark Gavin, the Met’s senior investigating officer, said: “Our detectives understand the real impact and distress that phone theft causes victims, which is why we have been determined to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.

“The discovery of that first shipment of stolen phones triggered a complex investigation that ultimately dismantled an international smuggling network.

“This group deliberately targeted high-value phone brands for resale overseas. Our investigation found street thieves were being paid up to £300 per handset, with some devices later selling for as much as $5,000 in China.”

The men appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday, April 29 and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to handle stolen goods and participating in criminal activities of an organised crime group. They were remanded and will be sentenced on Tuesday, May 12 at Southwark Crown Court.