The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has uncovered and dismantled a well-organised mobile phone theft and black-market network that has been operating across Nairobi and stretching beyond Kenya’s borders.
The crackdown follows numerous complaints from members of the public over a sharp rise in phone snatching incidents within the city.
According to detectives, the operation was intelligence-led and involved multiple security agencies working together.
The coordinated raid resulted in the arrest of seven suspects believed to be the key players behind the theft, movement, and resale of stolen mobile phones and other electronic devices on the black market.
During the operation, which was led by the DCI’s Operation Support Unit (OSU), officers recovered a large number of stolen electronics from various locations across Nairobi.
These included 150 mobile phones, 16 tablets, and six laptops, highlighting the scale and organisation of the criminal network.
One of the suspects arrested was a Ugandan national who is believed to have played a critical role in linking Kenyan receivers of stolen phones with buyers across the border in Uganda.
Detectives recovered dozens of mobile phones and laptops from her house in Shauri Moyo, strengthening suspicions that the syndicate was operating internationally.
Further arrests were made in Nairobi’s city centre, where investigators discovered a shop at Tusker House along Ronald Ngala Street that was being used as a central collection and distribution point for stolen devices.
From this location, police recovered several phones, tablets, and phone components, some of which were already prepared for resale.
The operation also extended to Kangemi Bus Station, where officers arrested a suspect believed to be responsible for facilitating the transportation of stolen devices through public transport networks. This arrest pointed to how the syndicate moved stolen goods discreetly from one location to another.
In Ngumba Estate and Thome Estate, detectives arrested additional suspects found in possession of assorted mobile phones, laptops, and phone parts.
Some of the devices had been dismantled, flashed, or factory reset in an attempt to erase ownership details and make tracking difficult. Shops selling phone spare parts were also targeted during the raid, as investigators believe some were being used to dispose of or modify stolen devices.
Another major recovery point was a garage in Nairobi’s Industrial Area. Here, officers seized several mobile phones and a laptop from inside a motor vehicle, further revealing the network’s wide distribution channels across the city.
According to the operations report, several of the recovered phones were successfully traced back to their rightful owners. In one case, a Nairobi resident whose phone had been stolen while she was shopping at a local market positively identified her device.
After recording a statement, police returned the phone to her, offering a rare moment of relief for victims of phone theft.
The latest operation closely mirrors a similar sting carried out in August last year. During that earlier raid, a well-planned intelligence operation in Nairobi’s Central Business District led to the collapse of another phone theft syndicate that had been terrorising city residents.
That earlier sting was conducted by officers from Central Police Station after weeks of surveillance and public tip-offs.
Acting on credible intelligence, detectives tracked down a key suspect involved in altering phone IMEI numbers, a common method used by criminals to hide a phone’s identity and avoid detection.
The suspect was arrested while actively tampering with the devices, a breakthrough that helped investigators dig deeper into the network. After his arrest, he provided vital information that led police to a commercial building believed to have been the syndicate’s main operational base.
DCI officials have urged members of the public to remain vigilant and continue sharing information with security agencies, noting that public cooperation plays a major role in dismantling organised criminal networks operating within and beyond Kenya’s borders.
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