A major police operation in Kasarani has led to the recovery of 200 mobile phones believed to have been stolen, as detectives continue their efforts to break up criminal networks involved in phone theft across Nairobi.
The operation was carried out by detectives from Kasarani Police Station after receiving intelligence about a suspected phone theft syndicate operating in the area.
Acting on the information, officers raided an abandoned iron-sheet structure located in Viken Thirty Village, where they discovered a large number of mobile phones hidden inside.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the recovered devices included 120 phones that were still intact and 80 others that had already been dismantled.
The phones were of different brands and models and are believed to have been stolen from victims in Nairobi and nearby areas.Following the recovery, Crime Scene Investigation officers visited the site and processed the area to collect evidence.
The mobile phones were then taken to the National Police Service Forensic Laboratory for further examination.
Detectives from the Cybercrime and Digital Forensics Unit are expected to analyse the devices to establish ownership and gather evidence that could help identify those responsible for the operation.
Investigators suspect that the recovered phones are connected to a larger criminal network involved in stealing phones, altering them, dismantling them for spare parts, or selling them through illegal markets.
Authorities believe some of these networks operate beyond Nairobi and may have links outside the country.
The latest recovery comes at a time when cases of phone snatching and theft have become a growing concern among Nairobi residents.
In response, the DCI has stepped up intelligence-led operations aimed at disrupting criminal groups involved in the trade of stolen mobile devices.
This is not the first time police have uncovered such activities. Earlier this year, detectives arrested seven suspects during a multi-agency operation that dismantled a network believed to be involved in stealing and distributing stolen phones across Nairobi and beyond Kenya’s borders.
In another operation conducted in May, five suspects were arrested in Dandora after authorities raided a mobile phone repair shop that was allegedly being used to conceal and distribute stolen devices.
Police say these investigations have revealed organised criminal groups that profit from stolen phones by reselling them or stripping them for parts.
Detectives are now following fresh leads linked to the Kasarani recovery and are working to identify and arrest more suspects.Authorities have urged members of the public to report phone theft incidents quickly and provide details such as IMEI numbers to assist investigators.
The recovered phones will remain under forensic examination as efforts continue to trace their rightful owners and strengthen the ongoing investigations.
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