Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, Makadara, have seized a haul of suspected stolen property from a residential address in Nairobi County, arresting one suspect and launching an investigation to trace the owners of the recovered items. The recovery, announced in a statement on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, and reported by Kenyan media on Wednesday, included 120 smartphones, 10 laptops, two tablets, 18 assorted gas cylinders and a quantity of mobile phone spare parts.
The operation followed intelligence received by detectives concerning suspected stolen electronic devices and other goods allegedly in the possession of a named individual. Acting on the information, officers moved to the residence of Julius Murengi Gacheru in the Industrial Area of Nairobi, where the items were found. Gacheru was arrested and placed in custody as investigators began working to establish the source and ownership of the property.
Nairobi police boss Issa Mohamud said the suspect was in custody while detectives investigated how the items ended up at the house. The recovered property is being processed as investigators work to identify the rightful owners and piece together the circumstances under which it came into the suspect's possession. The DCI did not disclose the individual owners of the smartphones, laptops, tablets or gas cylinders, nor did it state where the property was stolen from.
The raid comes amid intensified police operations targeting robbery and the theft of mobile phones in major urban areas. Police investigations have previously established that much of the stolen electronic property ends up in neighbouring countries, while some items are refurbished and sold to unsuspecting buyers. Authorities have urged members of the public to avoid purchasing electronic goods without proof of purchase, including official receipts, as part of efforts to disrupt the market for stolen property. Police said some victims of phone robberies have sustained serious injuries during attacks.
The Makadara recovery follows a separate operation in Kisii town on September 17, 2026, in which more than 500 assorted mobile phones and motherboards were recovered from a phone repair shop. Two persons of interest were arrested in that operation, which the DCI described as a phone theft and hacking racket operating under the guise of a repair business. The phones, including financed Tecno KM4 handsets that had been reported missing, had been stripped of their security locks and prepared for resale.
In a separate development, two suspects were arrested in Busia after police intercepted a vehicle carrying 1.5 tonnes of uncustomed sugar through an ungazetted route along the Kenya-Uganda border. Officers from Busia Police Station stopped a Toyota Probox in the Velasco area of Busiastration and found 30 bags of sugar, each weighing 50 kilogrammes. Police said the sugar had been smuggled into Kenya through an unmanned entry point instead of a designated border crossing. The vehicle and consignment were taken to Busia Police Station, and the suspects were processed ahead of arraignment.
The DCI said the operations form part of the National Police Service's wider crackdown on economic crimes and the trade in stolen property. Investigations into the Makadara case are ongoing, and the suspect remains in custody as detectives work to identify the rightful owners of the recovered items and determine whether the property was obtained through theft or other criminal means.
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