Two suspects arrested as police recover over 900 stolen mobile phones in Nairobi

Detectives from Nairobi Central Sub-County have arrested two suspects and recovered more than 900 stolen mobile phones in an operation conducted in Nairobi’s Central Business District.

The suspects, identified as Brian Yomasia and Stephen Okwachi Shisia, were nabbed along Charles Rubia Street near the Buscar bus stage after detectives intercepted two packages that were destined for Uganda.

According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the arrests followed an intelligence-led operation into a notorious inter-country phone theft syndicate targeting Nairobi's bustling Central Business District.

“Preliminary investigations have revealed that the two suspects, who were unable to provide a satisfactory account for the mobile phones in their possession, are part of a larger phone theft syndicate, involved in stealing phones from innocent members of the public, as well as from mobile phone shops, and selling them in neighbouring countries,” stated the DCI.

Upon inspection, the packages were found to contain approximately 900 stolen mobile phones.

The suspects, after failing to explain the goods in their possession, were arrested and detained at Nairobi Central Police Station, awaiting arraignment. The recovered devices have been kept as exhibits.

The recovery comes barely days after another operation on January 24, 2026, in which detectives recovered more than 150 stolen mobile phones.