I know the misery phone thieves inflict.

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Although we've been making progress in London over recent years in cracking down on this crime, there's still much more to do. That's why I'm announcing a new £4.5 million investment to make our capital a no-go area for anyone involved in this criminal enterprise.

When I was younger, thieves would target car stereos because they were valuable and relatively simple to steal. Working with car manufacturers, this was designed out.

Now, criminals are going after smartphones as a similarly easy and low-risk way to make a fast buck. As Mayor, I’m determined to change this notion.

Phone theft started to rise after the pandemic, not just in London but in cities across Europe.

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Mobile phones are becoming more and more expensive. Phone crime is now a £50 million-a-year international criminal enterprise in the capital, involving an organised network of thieves, middlemen and exporters.

Evidence shows that the majority of phones stolen in London end up being resold abroad, in places as far away as China and Algeria.

In response, the........

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