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If you think a cheap mobile phone from the streets is a bargain, think twice.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has stepped up an intelligence‑led crackdown on mobile phone theft and the networks behind the illegal trade, and anyone caught buying or receiving stolen devices risks serious trouble with the law.

In a recent dramatic operation, detectives trailed suspected receiver Silas Kivyatu to his hideout in California, Kamukunji Sub‑County.

Just as officers closed in, Silas sensed danger and fled on a motorbike, leading detectives on a high‑stakes pursuit through Nairobi streets.

In his frantic escape, he dropped a black carrier bag containing three packages wrapped in yellow tape.

When opened, detectives found 62 stolen mobile phones, a striking indication of the scale of his network.

While Silas escaped, the recovered devices have been secured as exhibits as the hunt for him and his remaining accomplices continues.

This latest operation forms part of a broader DCI campaign that has seen hundreds of stolen phones recovered in Nairobi and beyond.

In January alone, detectives arrested suspects and seized more than 900 stolen phones in Nairobi’s Central Business District during a coordinated raid on parcels bound for neighbouring countries.

Another intelligence‑led sweep netted seven suspects and yielded 150 stolen mobile phones, tablets and laptops in a crackdown on black‑market receivers and technicians involved in illegal refurbishment.

The DCI has warned that receivers — those who buy, sell, repair or traffic stolen phones — are as culpable as the thieves themselves.

Investigators say stolen phones are often moved across borders, refurbished or resold, feeding a lucrative black market that thrives on crime and victimises unsuspecting buyers.

“Anyone found buying or harbouring stolen phones is part of the criminal enterprise. The law will catch up with you,” a DCI spokesperson said, urging the public to report suspicious offers and handsets.