The phones seized by DCI/XA 37-year-old Burundian national is in police custody after detectives recovered 74 mobile phones suspected to have been stolen from members of the public during an intelligence-led operation in Likoni, Mombasa County.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said detectives from Likoni Police Station raided a mobile phone shop in the Ferry area after receiving credible intelligence linking the premises to the suspected handling of stolen mobile devices.
During the operation, officers recovered 74 assorted mobile phones believed to have been snatched from unsuspecting members of the public in separate incidents.
The suspect is being processed ahead of arraignment.
Detectives have also launched further investigations to establish the rightful owners of the recovered handsets and determine whether the suspect could be linked to a wider criminal network involved in the theft and trafficking of stolen mobile phones.
The operation comes as police continue to intensify efforts to dismantle mobile phone theft syndicates across the country.
Earlier on Friday, officers from Shauri Moyo Police Station arrested two suspects believed to be part of a phone-snatching ring during routine patrols along Digo Road in Nairobi.
According to the National Police Service (NPS), the operation targeted phone theft and other crimes affecting pedestrians in the area.
Police recovered five mobile phones suspected to have been stolen from members of the public during separate incidents.
The NPS said the suspects are believed to have been involved in a series of phone-snatching incidents around Gikomba and Digo Road.
Three victims have so far positively identified their mobile phones, while detectives continue efforts to trace the owners of the remaining recovered devices and establish whether the suspects are linked to other reported theft cases.
The service said the arrests were part of sustained patrols aimed at disrupting criminal activities in some of Nairobi's busiest commercial areas.
"Routine patrols continue to yield significant results in the fight against crime with police officers maintaining sustained operations to protect members of the public from opportunistic criminals," the NPS said.
The latest arrests also follow the recent apprehension of four people in two separate operations in Nairobi targeting mobile phone snatching and the suspected trade in stolen electronic gadgets.
The NPS said it would continue carrying out intelligence-led operations and patrols to combat crime.
"The National Police Service remains steadfast in its efforts to combat crime through sustained patrols, intelligence-led operations, and swift responses to criminal activity," the service said.
Police also urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities or criminal incidents at the nearest police station or through the toll-free numbers.
