Detectives have busted a phone theft and hacking syndicate in Kisii after raiding a Market Plaza repair shop, recovering over 500 assorted phones and motherboards and arresting two suspects.
Detectives have uncovered a suspected phone theft and hacking syndicate operating out of a repair shop in Kisii town, after a raid at Market Plaza yielded more than 500 assorted mobile phones and motherboards.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said the operation was carried out by detectives from Kisii Central in collaboration with fraud investigators from a mobile phone financing company. Two suspects were arrested during the raid and remain in custody awaiting their expected arraignment as investigations continue.
"A phone theft and hacking racket operating under the guise of a phone repair business has been cracked open in Kisii town, after detectives from DCI Kisii Central teamed up with fraud investigators, netting two suspects accused of stealing and unlawfully unlocking financed mobile devices," the DCI said in a statement.
Police allege the premises were being used to receive stolen phones and unlawfully unlock financed devices, with the racket disguised as a legitimate repair business.
Among the recovered items were several smartphones financed by the company, which had previously been reported missing.
According to the directorate, the phones were allegedly being prepared for resale after restrictions linked to their financing were removed. Investigators found that some of the devices had already been stripped of their security locks.
The large cache of devices and separate phone components is now being examined as detectives trace their source and intended market.
Part of a Wider Crackdown
The Kisii arrests come as police intensify investigations into organised networks driving rising cases of phone theft and reselling of stolen electronics nationwide. In an August operation in Nairobi's Central Business District, police recovered 38 phones, three laptops and a desktop computer from a stall suspected of dealing in stolen goods.
Authorities said they will continue targeting outlets suspected of providing a market for stolen electronics and urged members of the public to verify the source of devices before purchase.