The iPad that was uncovered after five years in the River Thames — image credit: Metropolitan Police
A six-year investigation into a suspected international organized crime ring has seen members convicted because of evidence from an iPad submerged in London’s Thames river for years.
An iPad that was recovered from London’s Thames River after more than five years, has provided crucial evidence that has led to the conviction of a suspected international organized crime ring.
Right from the start in 2010, the iPad has been available in a cellular version which Apple tends to sell for around $100 to $130 more than the Wi-Fi version. Usually, the hidden detail has been you also need a monthly carrier contract, but it turns out that a cellular iPad can also cost you jail time.
According to BBC News, a six-year investigation has seen members of a suspected international organized crime ring convicted because of their iPad. Three men — Louise Ahearne, Stewart Ahearne, and Daniel Kelly — were involved in stealing a Ming vase from a museum in Switzerland, burglarizing a luxury British apartment, and the attempted murder of another criminal in London.
It was that last crime in 2019, which saw a man paralyzed from the chest down, that first led police to suspect the trio. A complex investigation ultimately extended to the robbery of a Ming vase in Geneva, where Stewart Ahearne left behind traces of his DNA.
BBC News details the steps taken in the investigation and the multiple overlapping crimes, but a crucial point came in November 2024. That was when, following a single detail in one statement led police to take a metal detector to a specific location in the River Thames.
“We knew [from the statement that] the vehicle had stopped in John Harrison Way and that Kelly got out of the vehicle — but no more than that,” said Detective Chief Inspector Webb. “Didn’t know where he went, didn’t know what happened — just John Harrison Way.”
“Straight away, [though],we were thinking if somebody wants to discard something critical it’s probably going to be a firearm,” continued Webb.
But instead what was uncovered was a cellular iPad. After more than five years, it was lying in the Thames under an inch of sand, and caked in mud.
What was on the iPad
However, the police forensics team was able to remove the iPad’s SIM card. Call data from the SIM card showed that the iPad, and an associated iPhone, plus contacts with various suspects
It even then led police to Amazon and eBay purchases that included some unregistered Nokia burner phones that had been used in the attempted murder plot.
“I can’t repeat the words I used but my jaw dropped,” said DCI Webb. “What a beautiful piece of the puzzle to put together.”
“I’ve questioned this a lot,” continued the officer. “Is it calamitous blunders tripping them up or was it just they were so blase they wouldn’t get caught?”
Each of the three men were convicted of conspiracy to murder. The trio will be sentenced on April 25, 2025.
