A social media advert helped police uncover a suspected mobile phone theft syndicate operating within Nairobi’s Central Business District, leading to the recovery of 22 mobile phones and the arrest of two suspects.
According to police, the operation began after a woman whose phone had been stolen at a school along Ngong Road spotted an online advert featuring a handset that closely resembled her missing device.
The woman reported the matter to authorities, prompting detectives to launch investigations using mobile phone tracking technology.
Police traced the signal of the stolen device to a building near Khoja Stage in Nairobi’s CBD.
What initially appeared to be a single case of phone theft quickly turned into a major breakthrough after officers raided the premises and recovered several assorted high-end mobile phones suspected to have been stolen from members of the public.
The complainant’s handset was among the recovered devices.
Two suspects found at the premises were arrested and taken into custody as investigations continue into what police believe could be a wider criminal network involved in the sale and distribution of stolen phones.
Authorities say the operation highlights the growing role of technology and public vigilance in fighting crime.