By Issa Hussein - Reporter
Kenya, May 31, 2026 - A social media advertisement helped police uncover a suspected mobile phone theft syndicate in Nairobi's Central Business District (CBD), leading to the recovery of 22 mobile phones and the arrest of two suspects.
According to the National Police Service (NPS), the operation was triggered after a woman whose phone had been stolen at a school along Ngong Road spotted an online advert displaying a handset that closely resembled her missing device.
She reported the matter to the police, prompting investigators to launch a probe and track the device using mobile phone tracing technology.
The signal led officers to a building near Khoja Stage in Nairobi's CBD, where they recovered the complainant's phone alongside several other high-end mobile handsets believed to have been stolen from members of the public.
"What initially appeared to be a single stolen phone case quickly unfolded into a much larger discovery," the NPS said in a statement on Saturday.
Police arrested two suspects found inside the premises and placed them in custody pending further investigations.
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The service said the operation demonstrated the increasing importance of technology and public cooperation in combating crime.
"What started as a stolen phone report ended with the disruption of a suspected criminal enterprise and the recovery of twenty-two mobile phones, delivering a significant blow to those profiting from stolen property," the statement said.
Investigators are working to establish the ownership of the recovered devices and determine whether the suspects are linked to a wider network involved in the theft and sale of stolen phones.
The NPS urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities through the nearest police station, emergency numbers 999 and 911, or the Directorate of Criminal Investigations' toll-free hotline.
Mobile phone theft remains one of the most common crimes in major urban centres, with criminals often reselling stolen devices through online marketplaces and informal trading outlets. Police have in recent years intensified efforts to dismantle syndicates involved in the theft, alteration and resale of mobile phones.
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