More than 185 arrested in Met crackdown on robbery and theft in central London

An operation in Westminster targeting prolific thieves who use e-bikes and mopeds to snatch from their victims and attempt to evade police, has resulted in 187 arrests and 157 vehicles seized.

Plain-clothed and uniformed officers carried out patrols in hotspot areas where thieves are known to use mopeds or e-bikes. Officers would stop offenders who were known to police, or who had links to previous incidents.

Specialist officers were also able to act immediately if a theft occurred. Expertly trained riders were able to follow stolen phones using tracking data, and pursue criminals, even through busy or pedestrianised areas.

The operation resulted in 187 arrests, which included possession of dangerous weapons, drug-related offences, and robbery and theft offences.

The arrests form part of the Met's wider work to tackle weapons and violent crime, with 676 firearms and 2,894 knives taken off the streets last year.

In areas such as Lambeth and Southwark and key tourist and transport hubs including Waterloo and London Bridge, e-bike related crime fell by 22 per cent during the operation, which ran from February to July.

Detective Superintendent Gareth Gilbert, who led the operation said:

“Through targeted operations like this, we are staying one step ahead of the criminals who use high-powered bikes or mopeds to steal from Londoners.

“By disrupting this criminality and making hundreds of arrests, we’re making London a safer place to live, work and visit. Our approach is working, with neighbourhood crime down 14 per cent over the past year and 13,000 fewer phone thefts.”

Alongside targeting the offenders who use them, officers continue to crackdown on illegal and modified e-bikes used on London’s roads, this has seen more than 2,500 illegal e-bikes and e-scooters seized so far this year.

The Met has also expanded its fleet of high-powered Sur-Ron e-bikes from five to 25, giving officers greater capability to pursue offenders who use illegal bikes to evade police.

Other arrests include:

• A 17-year-old boy was spotted by officers riding a moped linked to an alleged phone theft earlier that morning. Officers attempted to stop the moped, prompting a short pursuit. The rider was intercepted and detained. He was arrested shortly afterwards and, during a search, a knife was recovered. The boy was charged with driving offences and possession of an offensive weapon. He was bailed to appear at Croydon Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 1 October.
• A 22-year-old man wanted for robbery offences was spotted by officers riding an illegal e-bike. As officers approached, he accelerated towards police and struck an officer with his bike. He was swiftly detained by an assisting officer and arrested on suspicion of robbery and assaulting an emergency worker. During a search, officers found multiple stolen mobile phones wrapped in tin foil in an attempt to interfere with the phones tracking signals. He was charged and remanded in custody to appear at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court.
• During a patrol of the Soho area, officers approached a 23-year-old man who immediately ran away, allegedly dropping a knife during the pursuit. He was detained and subsequently arrested for possession of an offensive weapon. He was bailed until October.

As part of a wider response to personal theft and robbery across London, theft of personal items and mobile phones has fallen by 15.6 per cent in 2026, while robbery has decreased by 12.8 per cent.

Notes to editors:

Video 1:

Officer on Met motorbike pursing phone theft suspect on a moped: 00:00 – 3:37

Officer chases suspect on foot: 3:38 – 3:55

Suspect arrested on suspicion of multiple phone thefts and dangerous driving: 3:55 – 4:59

National Police Air Service support officers during chase: 5:00 – 8:39

National Police Air Service zooms in on Met officers arresting the suspect: 8:41 – 9:03

Video 2:

Officer chases suspect on illegal e-bike on suspicion of robbery offences: 00:00 – 3:50

Suspect detained by Met officer and two members of the public and arrested on suspicion of robbery: 3:51 – 5:23

Officers searched suspect and discovered a knife: 5:24 – 6:21

Suspect further arrested for being in possession of a knife: 6:22 – 6:38