2 arrested in Eldoret in connection with mobile phone hacking and resale racket
Two persons of interest have been arrested in Eldoret Town, Uasin Gishu County, in connection with a mobile phone hacking and resale racket.
In a statement shared by the National Police Service (NPS) on Friday, May 30, 2025, the arrests were made on Thursday, May 29, 2025, following a tip-off from members of the public. The officers, working in collaboration with liaison personnel from M-KOPA, raided a phone repair shop located near the Eldoret Shuttle booking office.
According to the police, the two persons of interest were caught in the act of flashing 28 assorted mobile phones, including several devices belonging to M-KOPA, during the raid. Police believe the individuals are part of a wider syndicate engaged in bypassing security features on stolen or credit-purchased phones to resell them illegally.
“On 29 May 2025, while acting on a tip-off from the public, officers from the National Police Service (NPS) in Eldoret, in collaboration with M-KOPA’s liaison personnel, arrested two persons of interest in connection with a mobile phone hacking and resale racket in Eldoret Town, Uasin Gishu County,” the NPS statement reads in part.
“The officers raided a phone repair shop near the Eldoret Shuttle booking office, apprehending two suspects who were caught in the act of flashing 28 assorted mobile phones, including M-KOPA devices. The two are suspected to be part of a larger syndicate involved in the flashing of stolen mobile phones and those taken on credit to evade payment of dues.
The police further stated that upon searching the premises, they recovered several pieces of high-end electronic equipment. Among the items seized were two HP laptops, two CPUs, seven hard drives, one Pandora Box, a dongle, and a JTAG device, tools typically used to alter IMEI numbers, reprogram mobile phones, and disable embedded security features.
“A search of the shop led to the recovery of high-end electronic equipment, including two HP laptops, two CPUs, seven hard drives, one Pandora Box, one dongle, and one JTAG device, all tools capable of altering IMEI numbers, reprogramming phones, and bypassing security features,” the NPS statement reads in part.
The individuals are currently being held at Eldoret Police Station as detectives carry out forensic analysis and further investigations.
Police warning
The police also warned the public against purchasing cheap mobile phones from unverified dealers, noting that engaging in the flashing of devices taken on credit to avoid payment is a criminal offence.
“The National Police Service warns the public against purchasing suspiciously cheap mobile devices from unscrupulous traders or getting involved in fraudulent activities, such as the flashing of mobile phones taken on credit to evade payment,” police warned.
