Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have recovered 200 suspected stolen mobile phones during an intelligence‑led operation in the Kasarani area of Nairobi, as investigations continue to identify the owners and trace those believed to be behind the theft network.
The operation was carried out by detectives based at Kasarani Police Station after receiving information about suspicious activities in Viken Thirty Village. Acting on the tip‑off, officers searched an abandoned iron sheet store where they found a large number of mobile phones believed to have been stolen from different victims.
According to the DCI, the recovered phones included 120 devices that were intact, while another 80 had already been dismantled.
Investigators believe the dismantled phones may have been stripped for parts, although further examinations are expected to determine how they were being handled and whether they are linked to other reported theft cases.
Following the recovery, detectives from the Crime Scene Investigation unit processed the scene and collected evidence that could assist in identifying those responsible. The evidence is expected to support ongoing investigations as officers seek to establish how the phones ended up at the abandoned store and whether more suspects are involved.
The mobile phones have since been taken to the National Police Service Forensic Laboratory, where officers from the Cybercrime and Digital Forensics Unit are carrying out forensic examinations. The process will involve analysing the devices to help identify their rightful owners and determine whether they are connected to theft reports made in different parts of the country.
"The recovered phones have since been transported to the National Police Service Forensic Laboratory (NPFSL), where detectives from the Cybercrime and Digital Forensics Unit will conduct forensic analysis to trace their rightful owners," the DCI said in a statement.
The Directorate added that the investigation is ongoing and detectives are following intelligence leads that could help identify and arrest members of the suspected phone theft syndicate.
Officers are also working to establish whether the recovered devices were stolen within Nairobi or transported from other parts of the country before being stored in Kasarani.
Mobile phone theft remains one of the most common crimes reported in urban areas, with many stolen devices later finding their way into illegal markets where they are resold or dismantled for spare parts.
Investigators often rely on forensic analysis, including device identification numbers and digital records, to reconnect recovered phones with their owners.
The latest recovery is expected to provide leads that could assist investigators in uncovering a wider network involved in the theft and distribution of stolen mobile phones.
Authorities have not announced any arrests linked to the operation, but detectives say efforts are continuing to locate those responsible.
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