On a Saturday morning in April, Akara Etteh was checking his phone as he left Holborn tube station in central London. Moments later, a thief on an electric bike snatched it from his hand, and despite Akara’s pursuit, they escaped.... CLICK TO READ THE FULL NEWS HERE▶▶
He is one of many victims in England and Wales, where an estimated 78,000 “snatch thefts” occurred in the year leading up to March, a significant rise from the previous year.
The prosecution rate for such crimes is notably low. Police are working to target the culprits but acknowledge they can’t simply arrest their way out of the problem. They also believe that manufacturers and tech firms need to play a larger role.
Victims have shared their experiences with the BBC, describing losses ranging from irreplaceable photos to substantial financial thefts.
For Akara, the frustration was compounded by his inability to retrieve his stolen phone despite being able to track it. He activated the lost mode on his iPhone 13 once he got home and used Find My iPhone on his laptop to monitor its location. Initially, the phone’s whereabouts were traced to Islington, and days later, it appeared to be moving around north London.
Driven by a mix of adrenaline and anger, Akara visited two of the locations where his phone had been, though he now admits it was a risky move. Feeling as if he was being watched, he decided to leave without making contact.
“I am really angry,” he said. “The phone is expensive. We work hard to afford such things, and someone just decides to take it.”
In May, just over a month after the theft, Akara checked Find My iPhone once more and was stunned to find his phone had made its way to Shenzhen, China.
Akara gave up.
It is not uncommon for stolen phones to end up in Shenzhen – where if devices can’t be unlocked and used again, they are disassembled for parts.
The city is home to 17.6 million people and is a big tech hub, sometimes referred to as China’s Silicon Valley.
