By Swift Reporter
The Uganda Police Force has recovered 723 mobile phones suspected to have been stolen following an intelligence-led operation targeting the illegal trade in stolen devices within the Kampala Metropolitan area.
The operation, conducted on July 14, 2026, was prompted by a recent surge in cases of phone theft and snatching reported across the city.
Police officers raided 12 mobile phone shops at Cooper Complex in Kampala, where they uncovered hundreds of suspected stolen phones, used SIM cards and equipment believed to have been used in altering mobile phone identities.
According to police, preliminary investigations indicate that stolen mobile phones were allegedly being tampered with by altering their serial numbers before being sold, including across Uganda’s borders, making it difficult for victims and investigators to trace and recover the devices.
During the operation, officers also recovered more than 460 used MTN and Airtel SIM cards from one of the shops, as well as machines suspected to have been used to modify mobile phone serial numbers.
In a breakthrough during the raid, three of the recovered phones received incoming calls from individuals who identified themselves as the rightful owners. The callers told investigators that their phones had been stolen in Makindye, Kampala District, providing immediate leads for the ongoing investigations.
Police have since opened a General Inquiry File to establish the lawful ownership of all the recovered mobile phones and facilitate their return to their rightful owners where appropriate.
A total of 13 suspects were arrested during the operation and are currently undergoing police screening as detectives continue to investigate their possible involvement in the suspected criminal network.
The Uganda Police Force said investigations are ongoing and urged members of the public who have recently lost their mobile phones through theft or robbery to cooperate with investigators as efforts continue to identify the owners of the recovered devices.
The operation forms part of intensified efforts by security agencies to dismantle criminal networks involved in mobile phone theft, illegal device alteration and cross-border trafficking of stolen electronics.
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