A man spoke exclusively to MailOnline about the terrifying moment his phone was stolen “right out of his hands” – and the confusion that reigned when it turned up in a notorious Chinese port two weeks later.

Sukru Haskan, who was born in Turkey but now lives in London, explained how an e-cyclist snatched his iPhone 14 from his hand on July 30 as he walked along Brompton Street in Knightsbridge towards his home in South Kensington.

“He was on one of those electric bikes, wearing thick gloves and just grabbed it (the phone),” he told MailOnline.

“I’m a fit guy, but I had no intention of running after him because when I looked, he was already so far away.”

Mr Haskan, who works in finance, described how “helpless” he felt.

Sukru Haskan posted this picture of his stolen iPhone in Shenzhen, China

In another incident in May, a thief on a bicycle was seen snatching a victim’s phone in broad daylight at a bus stop in central London.

The thief slows down as he approaches them before snatching the phone from a young woman’s hand and speeding away

He said: “The police came and questioned me, but while they were doing that I could see them moving around London. You lose confidence in our safety.”

“First it went to Hyde Park, then to Finsbury Park. I sent screenshots to the police and then suddenly it was in China.”

Using Apple’s Find My iPhone feature, Mr Haskan located his stolen device in Shenzhen – known as China’s Silicon Valley.

“I saw online that hundreds of thousands of phones ended up in China.”

“I understand how youYou cannot prevent mobile phone theft in big cities. What I don’t like is that your phone can then be easily transported to another country.

“It has become a big business, a global trade, and nothing is being done. The police closed my case because no suspects could be found, but it is part of an international criminal organization.

“People steal things, I understand that, that’s normal, but thousands of phones end up in China and nobody investigates it.”

MailOnline has contacted the Metropolitan Police for comment.

In an eerily similar incident, Emma Hall had her phone snatched by a “gang of youths on bicycles” just yards from her home in Leyton High Street, east London, in April this year.

The phone ended up at the exact same address in Shenzhen.

Mr Haskan’s phone turned up in Shenzhen, China, two weeks after it was originally stolen in London.

Emma Hall, 44, was the victim of a phone theft just metres from her London flat on 29 April

Emma tracked her phone to two addresses in North London before the device resurfaced in China weeks later

MailOnline turned to IT and cybersecurity expert Thomas Balogun to find out why this might be happening.

He said there were some gangs in the UK selling stolen phones to cybercriminals abroad.

“Due to China’s large population, there is a high demand for phone parts. In addition, there are less strict regulations for individual parts,” said Balogun.

“Eighty percent of the time it’s about the components of the phone, about refurbishing someone else’s phone or converting it into something else.”

Maria-Diandre Opre, a cybersecurity expert at Earthweb, previously told MailOnline: “Time and again I have analysed cases where stolen phones have resurfaced thousands of miles away, particularly in countries like China.”

“This is not a mere coincidence, but a calculated trick by criminals to exploit weaknesses in law enforcement across borders.”

“For smartphone thieves, one of the biggest advantages of trading stolen devices abroad is the reduced risk of detection. Some countries simply lack a solid legal framework and tracking capabilities to effectively prosecute these crimes. This allows gangs to offload their illegally acquired goods without much fear of repercussions.

“In certain regions, there are well-established black markets that specialize in dismantling, reprogramming and reselling stolen phones.”

“These underground agents have specialized expertise in bypassing security restrictions and removing their digital fingerprints from devices before selling them for profit. Their complex networks make tracking down stolen assets an enormous challenge.”

There has been a frightening wave of mobile phone thefts in London in recent months, with thieves using e-bikes and high-performance vehicles to steal devices from unsuspecting people and then quickly disappear.

A phone thief lurks behind a woman in Marylebone, London, in April, shortly before stealing her device

He quickly pounced on her and snatched the cell phone from her hand.

According to figures, a mobile phone is reported stolen every six minutes in London.

In 2022, nearly 91,000 phones were stolen from Londoners, an average of 248 per day, with only two percent of stolen devices being recovered.

Criminals often target pedestrians in busy places like train stations, shopping malls or concert halls. They usually approach attackers from behind, so victims don’t realize their phone’s vulnerability until it’s too late.

The worst affected area was the City of Westminster, where tourists flock to theatre performances and luxury shopping. In the year to December, 18,863 cases were reported here – an increase of 47 percent compared to the 12,836 cases in the previous 12 months.

The second most affected borough was Camden with 4,806 incidents, followed by Southwark (4,376), Hackney (2,761), Newham (2,585), Lambeth (2,394) and Islington (2,117).

More than 52,000 phones were stolen across London last year.

Commander Owain Richards of the Metropolitan Police said: “We know the impact that mobile phone theft can have on victims.”

“It is an invasive and sometimes violent crime – and we are committed to protecting Londoners and tackling this problem as we make the capital safer.”

“Metropolitan Police officers are concentrating their resources on hotspot areas such as Westminster, Lambeth and Newham, where they are increasing the use of patrols and plain-clothed officers to deter criminals and make officers more visible to citizens.”