Police in the West Midlands joined 5,000 officers across Europe this morning to carry out a series of raids aimed at tackling mobile phone crime.
Addresses were raided in Birmingham, Sandwell, Dudley and Walsall as part of Operation Network and followed information received from the National Mobile Phone Crime Unit.
It was the third phase of the crackdown, which saw similar action in east Birmingham earlier this month and central Birmingham and Sandwell in January.
Two people were arrested from a property on Lime Street in Walsall − a 32-year-old woman and a 40-year-old man. A 36-year-old man was arrested at a property on Walstead Road in the town.
On Trittiford Road, in Billesley, a 30-year-old man was arrested; in Smethwick, on Gilbert Road, a 37-year-old man was arrested; and in Dudley, on Bridgewater Crescent, a 31-year-old man was arrested.
All are being questioned at police stations in the West Midlands on suspicion of handling stolen goods.
Officers also seized a large quantity of mobile phones and computer equipment, as well as cash and other property during the course of this morning’s activity.
The addresses were targeted after they were linked to a nationwide fraud and money laundering scam relating to fraudulent mobile phone warranty applications.
It formed part of a mass European day of action, co-ordinated in London by the Metropolitan Police under Operation Big Wing in partnership with UK police forces, 13 European countries through EuroPol and other law enforcement agencies.
Director of EuroPol, Rob Wainwright, said: “Organised crime has many faces. What sometimes seems just an example of petty crime is often part of a larger conspiracy orchestrated by an international criminal network.
“EuroPol has been pleased to support the UK and other EU countries in this case by using its intelligence capabilities and co-ordination services to identify the pan-European network behind these crimes.”
Acting DI Matt Morgan led the West Midlands Police operation and said: “Ordinary members of the public are directly affected by these handlers’ activities because the mobiles are thought to have been obtained through burglaries, street robberies and vehicle crime.
“Mobiles are very desirable on the stolen property market, so what we’re trying to do is completely eliminate this particular means of converting stolen goods into cash.
“Today is the third phase of what has already been an extremely successful operation and we’ve been working alongside other agencies across the continent to target these offenders.
“I want people who are involved this type of crime to know that we are closing-in on them and it’s only a matter of time before we find you.”
Operation Network was launched in October 2012 and aims to raise awareness of mobile phone theft by encouraging people to register their phones and use tracker apps.
Mobile phone users are urged to register their handsets on the national property database www.immobilise.com, which helps police reunite owners with lost or stolen items should they be recovered.
People buying mobile phones can also check the IMEI number via http://www.checkmend.com/uk/ to see if the phone is stolen.
Anyone who has information about mobile phone fraud or who is offered suspected stolen property for sale should contact police on 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.