Mobile phone theft on the rise in Belgium

The federal police last year recorded 49,988 stolen mobile phones, or an average of 137 per day, a record high, the SudPresse newspapers report.

In 2012, 46,770 phones were registered as stolen, compared with 43,922 in 2011 and 40,804 in 2010. The numbers are likely even higher, as many victims of phone theft do not bother to file a complaint, but simply have the phone’s SIM card blocked.