Two suspects believed to be behind a mobile phone theft and hacking syndicate have been arrested following an intelligence-led operation by detectives in Kimilili, Bungoma County.
The operation was launched after members of the public reported a surge in mobile phone thefts, with victims complaining that their devices had been stolen by the suspects and their accomplices.
A joint team of police officers and officials from M-Kopa Kenya Limited tracked the suspects to Jacaranda Youngers Electronics, a shop in the heart of Kimilili Town that investigators believe was being used as the syndicate’s operational base.
The two suspects, identified as Harrison Kariuki Thuku, 26, and James Gachanja Kahuria, 26, were arrested before they could escape.
A search of the premises led to the recovery of 34 M-Kopa mobile phones, 39 assorted smartphones, and flashing tools allegedly used to erase data, alter IMEI numbers, and reprogram stolen devices before selling them on the black market.
The suspects are being held in police custody pending their arraignment in court, while detectives continue pursuing other members of the syndicate who remain at large.
Meanwhile, the recovered mobile phones have been detained as exhibits and will be subjected to forensic analysis by cybercrime experts to help identify and trace their rightful owners.
