NAIROBI, Kenya Jan 24 – Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), has arrested seven suspects and recovered more than 150 mobile phones in Nairobi.
According to the statement, the operation was launched after public outcry from city residents over a surge in mobile phone thefts, with detectives conducting coordinated raids in several parts of the capital.
In addition to the phones, officers recovered 16 tablets and six laptops from different locations across the city, underscoring the scale of the suspected black-market network.
“Among those arrested was a Ugandan national arrested in Shauri Moyo, where detectives recovered 75 mobile phones packed in sealed boxes and two laptops from her residence,” the DCI said.
Investigations revealed that the suspect allegedly served as a key link between local receivers in Kenya and buyers in Uganda, with police saying she worked closely with several accomplices.
Further arrests were made in Nairobi’s city centre, where the third suspect was arrested at his shop at Tusker House along Ronald Ngala Street, with officers recovering 19 mobile phones and 16 tablets from the premises.
At Kangemi Bus Station, police arrested a loader at Starways Express, for allegedly facilitating the transportation of stolen phones through selected bus drivers, as additional recoveries were made in Ngumba and Thome estates.
In a separate arrest in the Industrial Area, detectives apprehended another suspect at a garage along Chogoria Road, where eight mobile phones and a laptop were recovered, some of which had been tampered with or dismantled for spare parts.
Police have already traced at least one rightful owner of the recovered devices, with a resident of Ngando in Dagoretti, identifying her phone that was stolen while she was serving customers at a local market.
