DCI Recovers 63 Stolen Phones in Thika and Nairobi as Suspects Are Arrested
Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations in Kenya have been cracking down on thieves who’ve been making off with people’s mobile phones – and they’ve had a big win in Thika & Nairobi.
Last Wednesday, 14th October, the DCI announced that an operation in Thika which was based on good intelligence had seen 57 mobile phones as well as some other dodgy electronics get seized – alongside two tablets and two laptops which were almost definitely nicked.
The tip offs had been coming in thick & fast from victims, who had reported that these thieves were trying to alter the IMEI numbers on the stolen phones – which would’ve made them basically untraceable.
DCI Recovers 57 Stolen Phones at Aliza Plaza in Thika
According to the DCI, the raid on a room on the 8th floor of Aliza Plaza in Thika was the culmination of a sting operation against a bunch of suspected electronics thieves.
Elvis Thuita Gitau got caught during the raid – and alongside him, the detectives found a whole bunch of stolen electronics.
“The guys raided a room on the 8th floor of Aliza Plaza, where they snagged Elvis Thuita Gitau. A search of the place turned up 57 assorted mobile phones, 2 tablets, 2 laptops – and a bunch of other nicked gear,” a police report said.
It all started when the detectives got wind of a plan by these thieves to try & alter the IMEI numbers on the nicked mobiles – which would’ve made them a lot harder to track.
All the seized gear is now being looked at as part of the ongoing investigation and lets hope justice catches up with the rest of these electronics thieves.
Police Arrest Three Suspects After Phone Snatching in Nairobi
In another line of business police were onto , officers on patrol were hot on the heels of suspects who’d been accused of snatching a phone right out of a commuter’s hand while they were riding a public service vehicle.
After a chase, the patrol officers managed to collar two of the suspects and dope their motorcycle,then had a good old fashioned sit down to grill them about what had gone down.
The two guys seemed to be opening up to detectives about the whole shebang and before long, they led them to some sort of hideout where a third accomplice was hiding out.
“Then we swooped in on the premises and found Austine Mwangi, the third suspect, and recovered the stolen phone plus four other mobiles that had been nicked,” the DCI told us.
This was all part of the DCI’s ongoing efforts to track down phones stolen in related incidents, they’d recovered 62 phones already when another one showed up in a separate incident in Nairobi.
DCI Recovers Stolen iPhone 15 Pro Max Near Muthaiga
In the meantime, in a dramatic chase they even managed to get their hands on a freshly stolen iPhone 15 Pro Max near the Muthaiga Mini Market Roundabout along Limuru Road.
Apparently a driver was chatting away on his phone when a suspect jumped in and snatched the phone right from his hand, then took off in a hurry.
The driver was quick on the draw and gave chase, attracting some attention from police on patrol and before long they were involved in the chase too.
“Police officers on the beat saw the whole thing go down and hopped right in, putting an end to the suspect’s getaway. They grabbed the stolen iPhone and took the thief in, then dropped him off at Gigiri Police Station to sort out the paperwork” – that’s how the DCI put it in their statement.
This new recovery brought the total number of phones they’ve recovered up to 63.
DCI Explains How Victims Can Recover Stolen Phones
The DCI confirmed that the phones they’d recovered would be kept as exhibits while they figure out what to do with the culprits.
However, if you’re the owner of one of the phones that’s been recovered, you can get it back once you can prove you own it, just keep your receipts and other documents that can show who the phone belongs to.
If you’ve lost a phone and you think it might be among the ones they’ve recovered, keep a record of your IMEI number (if you have it) – that can help the investigators figure out whose phone it is.
Unfortunately the DCI’s statement didn’t give us a list of all the recovered phones or a plan for how you’re supposed to go about getting yours back.
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DCI Recovers 63 Stolen Phones in Thika and Nairobi as Suspects Are Arrested
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