Kisumu: Police arrest suspect in major phone theft syndicate, recover over 40 phones

Police in Kisumu have arrested a suspect in connection to a phone theft syndicate at the Main Bus Terminus.

The suspect was arrested by police following an expose by members of the public.

According to the Kisumu Central Deputy OCPD Jackton Mango, they received reports that there was a particular shop within the area where stolen phones are being flashed to avoid detection before being resold.

Mango said their officers together with DCI officers from the station visited the area and arrested one suspect who led them to his phone accessory shop where the phones were being done.

He said when they went to the shop, they recovered a total of 40 stolen phones at the scene.

"At the shop, there are phone accessories but below the counters we found the stolen phones hidden," he said.

"He has a computer that he uses to first flash the phones that are brought to him so as not to be traced by authority."

Mango stated that his officers had a difficult time during the arrest and raid forcing them to call for reinforcements. 

He noted that the suspect had recruited so many people within the bus terminus who are protecting him and also some are his associates in the business. 

"He has people whose work is just to monitor the area in case of police raids and alert him so that he can escape," Mango said.

The Deputy OCPD thanked members of the public for coming out to expose the suspect saying they have on numerous occasions received reports of phone theft within Kisumu.

He commended the public for tipping off the police, saying with such collaborations Kisumu will continue to be safe.