A daring phone unlocking syndicate that allegedly preyed on loan-financed smartphones has been brought to its knees after a dramatic sting in the heart of Nairobi’s CBD.
Three men — Jeremiah Njoroge, Marvine Wanguno, and Victor Kimani — now face five criminal counts after prosecutors linked them to a multi-million shilling racket that targeted M-Kopa and other mobile finance firms by illegally bypassing device lock systems before loan repayments were complete.
According to court documents, the gang’s latest strike happened on August 4, 2025, when they allegedly stole six smartphones worth KSh 800,000 from M-Kopa Kenya Limited — including two Samsung A13s, a Samsung A12, Samsung A03s, Samsung S24, and a Nokia GS0.
On the same day, prosecutors say, they hit Mophone Kenya Limited, snatching three luxury handsets — a Samsung Note 20 Ultra, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, and another Samsung Note 20 — worth KSh 1 million.
An alternative charge claims the trio were in possession of four more smartphones — a Samsung A04s, Samsung A05, and two Samsung A03s — valued at KSh 1.2 million and belonging to Watu Credit, knowing or suspecting they were stolen.
Investigators say the breakthrough came after a confidential tip-off led officers to a shop along Tom Mboya Street, where they allegedly found five M-Kopa devices mid-way through illegal unlocking.
In court, defence lawyers branded the proposed KSh 1 million cash bail as excessive, urging the court to consider a pre-bail report. However, Milimani Chief Magistrate Dolphina Alego ordered each accused released on a KSh 2 million bond or KSh 1 million cash bail.
The case will be mentioned on August 27, 2025, before Court 3 for pre-trial, as police warn that more arrests are imminent in what could be Kenya’s biggest smartphone loan-fraud crackdown in years.
