Police bust phone-stealing syndicate, recover nine Android devices in Delta

Operatives of the Delta State Police Command have arrested four suspected members of a phone-stealing syndicate and recovered nine brand-new Android phones in Asaba, the Delta State capital.
The suspects were apprehended following a series of reported thefts of mobile phones from retail shops in Asaba and its environs.
The operatives, acting on credible intelligence and technical intelligence analysis, stormed the suspects’ hideout along St. Brigid’s Road, Asaba, on July 25, 2026, where they arrested the four suspects.
Confirming the development in a statement yesterday, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Bright Edafe, identified the suspects as Johna Omarocha, Kelvin Onogho, Nkechi Nnaji and Ufuoma Joshua.
He disclosed that a search conducted at the hideout led to the recovery of nine brand-new Android phones, all still in their cartons.
According to Edafe, preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects are members of a syndicate specialising in stealing brand-new phones from retail outlets across Asaba and neighbouring communities.
He added that the suspects have reportedly confessed to the crime, while efforts are ongoing to arrest other fleeing members of the syndicate and identify the rightful owners of the recovered phones.
Explaining the syndicate’s mode of operation, the police spokesman said investigations showed that the suspects usually pose as genuine customers in shops and supermarkets. While pretending to make purchases, they reportedly use newspapers to conceal the phones on display before quietly leaving the shops with the stolen devices.
Edafe further disclosed that the female member of the syndicate allegedly arranges for the stolen phones to be waybilled to Lagos, where the devices’ International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers are altered before they are resold.
“The four suspects are currently in custody and will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded,” he stated.
Reacting to the breakthrough, the Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, CP Yemi Oyeniyi, reaffirmed the command’s commitment to combating all forms of crime across the state.
He also urged members of the public, particularly shop owners and business operators, to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious persons and activities to the police.