Surge in UK Train Phone Thefts: One Device Stolen Every 44 Minutes, Many Ending Up in Morocco

According to data from the British Transport Police, around 12,150 phones were stolen from trains and stations in 2024, a sharp increase of 135% since 2020, when 5,167 incidents were reported. Thus, a mobile phone is stolen on average every 44 minutes on the British rail network. These thefts are detrimental to the victims: some of them can no longer access essential applications, while others have money stolen via their bank details stored on their phone, reports Mirror.

According to the 2024 Crime Survey for England and Wales, the number of people who had their phones or bags stolen on the street during the year ending March 2024 stands at 78,000. With phone thefts worth £50 million in the capital for 2024 alone, London is considered the main hotspot for this phenomenon, according to the Metropolitan Police.

According to the National Crime Agency, most of these devices end up abroad, in countries like China and Morocco. Others are exploited to recover valuable data in order to commit other offenses.