Detectives drawn from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) are holding onto a person of interest who was nabbed with 10 dummy phones.
In a statement on Thursday night January 9, 2025, DCI noted that a 30-year-old man was traced following a reported vehicle break-in on January 3, 2025.
He was netted at his house within the Hilton Estate of Ruiru township, where a search led to the recoveries.
The DCI report detailed that 96 original national identity cards belonging to different citizens, 10 dummy foldable phones and several sim card plates were recovered in the house.
Asks victims to record statements
DCI claimed that the person of interest identified as Charles Kamau Kuria had registered on an online marketplace where he sold dummy phones instead of authentic ones posted to attract buyers.
The directorate thus called on Kenyans who had been scammed through the online marketplace to record their statements.
“Kuria was traced to his house within Hilton Estate of Ruiru township, where a search was conducted leading to the recoveries.
“On interrogation, detectives established that the suspect has been using the national IDs to register multiple Jiji accounts, which he then uses to swindle unsuspecting Kenyans by pretending to be in a position to sell them genuine foldable Samsung phones, only to swap them with the dummies. By the time victims realize they’ve been conned and report to the police, Kuria’s tracks are far from any criminality as investigations lead to the bearers of the lost or stolen IDs used in the registration,” DCI’s statement read in part.
“Kuria is currently being held at Ruaraka Police Station with DCI Starehe handling the case. The investigators believe more complainants who fell for the suspect’s machinations are out there, and are being called upon to report at the station to record their statements,” it added.
In another operation on Thursday, January 9, 2025, DCI detectives apprehended 3 persons of interest linked to a spate of violent robberies in Mombasa.
During the operation, the sleuths recovered daggers and machetes.
