How 'largest phone smuggling network' was uncovered
UK police dismantled what they believe to be the country's largest phone smuggling network after a victim tracked their stolen mobile phone to a warehouse near Heathrow. The investigation, dubbed Operation Echosteep, led to the discovery of over 800 stolen devices destined for Hong Kong and the arrest of two men, Amir Muhammad Khadikhel and Ismat Miakhel.
Why it matters
This case highlights the sophisticated methods used by criminals to smuggle stolen goods internationally and demonstrates how individual victims can play a crucial role in major police investigations.
Image source, Metropolitan Police Image caption, Police arrested Amir Muhammad Khadikhel and Ismat Miakhel in September 2025
London home affairs correspondent Published 25 September 2026 It started with a single stolen mobile phone, found inside a sealed parcel, inside a warehouse near Heathrow airport.
It ended in police dismantling what detectives believe to be the UK's largest phone smuggling network.
The device had been electronically tracked to the warehouse not by officers, but by a victim who had it stolen from them just before Christmas in 2024 and alerted the DHL courier company.
"The phone was ringing in the package," explains Commander Andy Featherstone, the Metropolitan police's lead on mobile phone theft.
"It was still on. Which is very unusual in these circumstances, because they tend to be wrapped up, so the signal isn't working. But in this case it was."
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