Detectives have recovered 62 stolen mobile phones in a renewed operation targeting receivers believed to be sustaining phone theft syndicates across the country, even as a key suspect narrowly evaded arrest in Nairobi.
In a statement shared on X, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said the recovery followed intelligence-led operations aimed at dismantling networks that buy, store, and redistribute stolen mobile devices.
Authorities say such receivers play a central role in encouraging street-level theft and enabling cross-border trafficking of stolen gadgets.
The operation focused on a suspect identified as Silas Kivyatu, who investigators believe is a major receiver within a wider theft ring.
According to the DCI, two of his associates were arrested last week, leading detectives to stolen phones allegedly intended for the Ugandan market.
The arrests provided critical leads that guided officers to the suspect’s hideout.
Detectives later tracked Silas to the California area in Kamukunji Sub-County.
However, upon sensing the presence of law enforcement officers, the suspect reportedly fled the scene on a motorbike, managing to evade capture at the last moment.
Despite the escape, detectives made a significant breakthrough.
During his hurried flight, the suspect is said to have dropped a black carrier bag containing three packages wrapped in yellow cellotape.
A search of the packages revealed 62 assorted mobile phones suspected to have been stolen from different parts of the country.
The recovered phones have been secured as exhibits as investigations continue. Detectives are now working to link the devices to reported theft cases and identify additional suspects connected to the network.
The DCI said efforts are ongoing to trace and arrest the suspect and other accomplices who remain at large.
The agency noted that receivers of stolen phones are increasingly being targeted as part of a broader strategy to disrupt the entire criminal chain, rather than focusing solely on the thieves.
Mobile phone theft remains a common urban crime, with security agencies warning that the availability of ready buyers drives the problem.
The DCI reiterated its commitment to sustained intelligence-driven operations and urged members of the public to avoid purchasing phones of unclear origin, warning that doing so exposes buyers to criminal prosecution.