London's Metropolitan Police have arrested 187 individuals and seized 157 vehicles as part of a significant operation targeting criminals using e-bikes and mopeds for theft. The operation, which ran from February to July, focused on prolific offenders in crime hotspots such as Westminster, and areas including Lambeth, Southwark, Waterloo, and London Bridge.
Plain-clothed and uniformed officers conducted patrols, with specialist teams responding to thefts and utilizing tracking data from stolen phones to pursue suspects. The police force has also expanded its fleet of high-powered Sur-Ron e-bikes to 25, enabling officers to pursue suspects on similar vehicles who might otherwise evade capture.
During the operation, e-bike-related crime reportedly fell by 22 percent in targeted areas. The crackdown also led to arrests for a range of offenses including robbery, theft, weapons possession, and drug offenses. In one instance, a 17-year-old was arrested on suspicion of robbery and possession of a knife after a short pursuit. In another case, a 22-year-old man wanted for robbery allegedly struck an officer with his e-bike before being detained. Stolen mobile phones, some wrapped in foil to disrupt tracking signals, were recovered during searches.
Detective Superintendent Gareth Gilbert, who led the operation, stated that these targeted efforts are helping to keep Londoners safe, with neighborhood crime down 14 percent and 13,000 fewer phone thefts in the past year. Despite these successes, concerns persist regarding the use of e-bikes in crime and serious road incidents across Britain.
Recent figures indicate nearly 39,000 incidents involving e-bikes were recorded by police forces nationwide over the past three years. These incidents encompass road collisions, robberies, assaults, and other offenses. In response to increasing issues, some bike rental services are beginning to fit vehicles with identifying codes.
The Metropolitan Police also reported that personal theft and robbery across London have decreased in 2026, with a 15.6 percent drop in personal item and mobile phone thefts and a 12.8 percent reduction in robbery. These arrests are part of broader efforts to combat weapons and violent crime in the city.