Kampala Police Recover 143 Stolen Phones, Bust Cross-Border Ring

Kampala Metropolitan Police have broken up an organized criminal network involved in the theft and cross-border trafficking of mobile devices, recovering 143 suspected stolen smartphones and arresting three key suspects.

The successful intelligence-led operation, conducted within the Kampala Metropolitan area, targeted a syndicate that primarily targeted high-end smartphones, particularly iPhones, before modifying and smuggling them out of the country.

The Suspects and Their Modus Operandi

According to Kampala Metropolitan Police Deputy Public Relations Officer, ASP Luke Owoyesigyire, the three arrested individuals are currently in police custody. They have been identified as:

 Tumusiime Derrick, also known as Gana

 Niyonzima Fabrice, also known as Sadat

 Kitoko Emmy

Preliminary police investigations reveal that the trio operated a sophisticated technical ring. After receiving stolen mobile phones from street muggers and burglars, the suspects would alter the device motherboards and other internal identifying components. This technical modification was intentionally done to erase the digital footprint of the phones and conceal their original ownership.

Once altered, the smartphones were trafficked into neighboring countries, specifically the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, where they were resold on the black market.

So far, the police have successfully traced and identified the rightful owners of 20 of the recovered smartphones. These victims have already provided detectives with details of their previously reported theft cases, matching their respective police reference numbers to the recovered exhibits.

Investigations remain ongoing to identify the remaining victims, recover more stolen property, and track down other elusive members of the criminal network.

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The Kampala Metropolitan Police has issued an appeal to members of the public who recently lost an iPhone and filed an official report. Affected individuals are urged to contact officers at the Crime Intelligence Directorate.

To facilitate the verification and eventual reclamation of their devices, claimants must present valid proof of ownership alongside their original police case reference number.

The three suspects will remain in custody and are set to be arraigned before court to face formal charges related to their involvement in the criminal enterprise as soon as investigations are fully concluded.