Two arrested in Eldoret over mobile phone hacking and resale racket

Two suspects were arrested on Thursday, May 29, in Eldoret Town over their suspected involvement in a mobile phone hacking and resale racket.

Officers from the National Police Service (NPS), acting on a public tip-off and working with M-KOPA liaison personnel, raided a phone repair shop near the Eldoret Shuttle booking office.

They found the suspects flashing 28 assorted mobile phones, including devices belonging to M-KOPA.

According to police, the two are believed to be part of a broader syndicate involved in flashing stolen or credit-purchased phones to bypass payment obligations.

During the operation, officers recovered several electronic devices suspected of being used in the illegal activity.

These included two HP laptops, two CPUs, seven hard drives, one Pandora Box, one dongle, and one JTAG device.

Police say the equipment is capable of altering IMEI numbers and bypassing phone security features.

The suspects are being held at Eldoret Police Station as forensic investigations continue.

The National Police Service is urging members of the public to remain alert and report such illegal activities to the nearest police station or through toll-free lines 999, 911, 112, and #FichuakwaDCI (0800 722 203).

“NPS warns the public against purchasing suspiciously cheap mobile devices from unscrupulous traders or getting involved in fraudulent activities,” the statement read.

The arrest of the two comes barely two weeks after other six suspects were arrested, and assorted stolen mobile phones recovered from them in an operation in Nairobi.

Police said they also recovered Sh614,000 from the suspects, which they believe are proceeds of the crime.

The recovered mobile phones were stolen from separate parts of the city and were valued at Sh3 million, Nairobi Regional Police Commander George Sedah said.

He added they are looking for more suspects in connection with the crime.