Curbs On Stolen Mobile Phone Recycling Announced By Home Office

The Home Office has announced new measures to prevent stolen mobile phones being recycled, most of which end up being sold abroad.

There are an estimated 100,000 stolen mobile phones and smart phones, worth around £4 million, sold to recycling companies each year. Although most stolen handsets are blocked by the networks within two days making them inoperable in the UK, many of the recycled phones are exported abroad where they can be unlocked, sold and used again.

The Home Office measures will create a National Mobile Phone Register, a database of all phones reported stolen, which recycling companies who sign up to a new code of practice will check before buying a phone. In addition, if a phone is found to be stolen, details of the phone and the person trying to sell it to them will be passed to the police to investigate.

So far 20 mobile phone recyclers, representing 90 per cent of the industry, have committed to the agreement.

Specific details about this code of practice can be found at www.stoprecycledstolenphones.co.uk

This initiative, announced by Crime Prevention Minister James Brokenshire has won the support of the Police and the mobile recycling industry, as the theft of mobile phones and smart phones is very prevalent throughout the UK, underlining the importance of having good mobile phone insurance.

For example, Jack Wraith, chairman of the Mobile Industry Crime Action Forum, said:

“The industry welcomes this very important initiative on the part of the recyclers. It not only closes off an avenue used by criminals to gain from theft of mobile phones, it also demonstrates those recyclers who have signed up to the scheme are serious in their efforts to support the continuing battle against mobile phone theft.”

From the Police’s point of view, this initiative will also boost efforts to reduce mobile phone crime, as Commander Simon Pountain, from the Association of Chief Police Officers, comments:

“As a result of the hard work and commitment of the recycling and mobile phone industry, combined with the work of the Home Office and the police, there is now the possibility of detecting up to a further 100,000 offences countrywide.

“To date numerous arrests have taken place and stolen goods recovered. Significant offences such as robberies and burglaries have been solved through utilising this new system which has also led to arrests for murder. This is a great example of partnership working at its best for the benefit of the wider community.”

The recyclers who have signed up to code so far are: 20-20 Mobile, Anovo, Earthmobile Ltd, Easyfone, EMC Recycle, Fone Bak/Regenersis, Fone Hub, Greener Solution, Mazuma Mobile, Mobile Phone Exchange, Mobile Phone Recycling Organisation, Money for Your Phone, Redeem PLC, Royal Mail, RPC Recycle, SHP Solutions, West One Technology, Carphone Warehouse, Virgin Media, and Recipero.