Police have arrested two suspects and recovered about one tonne of steel conductors stolen from a Kenya Power substation in Shanzu, Mombasa county.
In a statement, the National Police Service (NPS) said officers from Bamburi police station acted on intelligence that a group of young men had been spotted with wire cables suspected to belong to Kenya Power.
According to the NPS, the officers mounted an ambush in Shanzu, leading to the recovery of the stolen steel conductors, which had been concealed in a bush.
Preliminary investigations established that the recovered conductors had been stolen from the Shanzu Substation.
The two suspects were arrested and remain in police custody pending their arraignment in court on relevant charges.
The NPS said three mobile phones were recovered at the scene and secured as exhibits to support ongoing investigations, as detectives pursue more suspects believed to be linked to the theft.
The service noted that theft and vandalism of power infrastructure remain a major threat to the country's electricity network and economic development, disrupting power supply to homes, businesses, schools, hospitals and other essential services while causing significant financial losses.
The NPS said it remains committed to protecting public infrastructure through intelligence-led operations, enhanced patrols and collaboration with stakeholders, and urged members of the public to report suspicious or criminal activities through its established reporting channels.
On June 27, detectives arrested eight suspects as investigations intensified into a series of highway robberies targeting courier companies and vehicles transporting goods across several parts of the country.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the operation was conducted by officers drawn from the headquarters-based Operation Action Team (OAT), the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau (CRIB), and detectives from the DCI Nakuru Regional Office.
Police said the arrests follow investigations into multiple robbery incidents reported at various stations.
Authorities said the incidents involved theft of goods in transit valued at millions of shillings and affected courier operators and transport businesses.
"These incidents have resulted in the loss of millions worth of goods in transit belonging to innocent Kenyans and have been reported at various police stations, including Mai Mahiu, Kipkelion, Londiani, and Nakuru," the agency stated.
In a statement, DCI said investigators had uncovered what they described as an organised criminal network believed to comprise about 15 members and linked through forensic investigations to several reported incidents.
According to detectives, the group allegedly operated by impersonating government enforcement officers and intercepting vehicles transporting cargo.
