Four people have been arrested in Kongowea, Mombasa County, following an intelligence-led police operation targeting a suspected criminal group linked to robberies and the alleged disposal of stolen mobile phones.
The National Police Service (NPS) said the operation, conducted on Monday, November 9, 2026, involved officers from Kongowea Police Station who pursued intelligence leads across Kitaruni, Kadria and Kambi Kikuyu before making a fourth arrest at a mobile phone repair shop.
The investigation began in Kitaruni, where officers stopped and searched an individual suspected of involvement in criminal activities after receiving intelligence identifying him.
A search reportedly recovered a panga and a pair of scissors. During questioning, the suspect provided information that led officers to other individuals whom he identified as members of a group allegedly involved in robberies within Kongowea.
Acting on the information, officers proceeded to Kadria, where they arrested a second suspect and recovered pepper spray. The operation then moved to Kambi Kikuyu, where a third individual was apprehended with another panga.
The three suspects subsequently led officers to a mobile phone repair shop, which they identified as premises where stolen mobile phones were allegedly sold.
Police arrested a fourth individual at the premises before conducting a search that resulted in the recovery of 22 mobile phone motherboards, 29 batteries of various makes and five mobile phones.
According to the NPS, the individual at the shop could not account for the ownership of the recovered mobile phones. The items were seized and secured as exhibits to assist investigators in establishing their origin and possible connection to the suspected criminal network.
The recovery of the phone components has added another line of investigation as officers seek to establish whether the premises were being used to facilitate the disposal of stolen devices and determine the extent of the alleged group’s activities.
All four suspects have been placed in police custody pending further legal action, while investigations continue.
Furthermore, the NPS said the operation forms part of ongoing efforts to identify and disrupt criminal networks through intelligence gathering, sustained patrols and targeted operations.
They urged members of the public to continue cooperating with security agencies by sharing information that could help prevent crime, advising anyone with relevant information to report to the nearest police station or contact the relevant emergency services.
