Arrests made after phone thefts in Nottingham city centre

Seven men have been arrested as part of an investigation into a spate of mobile phone thefts in Nottingham city centre.

A warrant was executed at an address in Alfreton Road, Radford, on Monday 13th March 2023.

Officers from the City Centre neighbourhood policing team found large quantities of suspected class A and class B drugs, as well as a stash of mobile phones that are believed to have been stolen.

Seven men aged 20 to 25 were arrested at the property. They were taken into custody to be questioned on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A and B drugs, conspiracy to commit theft and conspiracy to commit fraud.

They remain in custody for questioning.

Earlier this year, the City Centre neighbourhood policing team launched Operation Cloud in response to an increase in mobile phone thefts.

A team of officers has been working to trace offenders and find stolen goods.

Sergeant Richard Tiernan, who led yesterday’s warrant, said: “Mobile phone theft in the city centre has become a concern in recent months.

“A team of officers have conducted a detailed investigation and a search warrant under section 8 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 was authorised by the courts.

“We executed the warrant on Monday morning and found large quantities of class A and B drugs, as well as a number of mobile phones. We are now conducting tests to ascertain whether these phones are stolen.

“We have seven suspects in custody and I hope this sends out a message to mobile phone thieves that we will not tolerate their crimes.

“This remains an ongoing investigation but I am pleased we have also been able to take a large quantity of suspected drugs off the streets.

“The supply of drugs can have an utterly devastating impact on our communities and brings with it violence, antisocial behaviour, and exploitation which is why we work extremely hard to put a stop to criminal activity and keep the public safe.”

Chief Inspector Amy English, who oversees neighbourhood policing in Nottingham city centre, said she was pleased the warrant had yielded positive results.

“This is far from targeting low level offenders. Not only are many smartphones worth hundreds of pounds, thieves can also quickly rack up huge bills on stolen phones or make expensive purchases.

“Organised crime groups involved in mobile phone thefts also use the profits from their crimes to fund further and more serious crime at the expense of local communities.

“As this warrant shows, we will not allow these individuals to roam our streets causing misery.

“I am also pleased a significant amount of suspected drugs have been seized. This is another reminder that dealing drugs will not be tolerated in Nottingham and we will take positive action against anyone involved in this criminality.”

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