Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Emmanuel Kayigi, the Police spokesperson for the City of Kigali, said that the “suspects also include people running black-market for electronics and dealing in assorted stolen items.”
Electronics including desktop and laptop computers, and television sets were also recovered from the suspects during the operation, CIP Kayigi said.
“Among the recovered electronics are 38 laptops stolen from different people in various parts of Kigali, and were being sold in black electronic shops in Nyarugenge Sector,” he said.
“The operation was in response to series of thefts in different parts of the City of Kigali. The aim is to dismantle these black market shops that deal in stolen electronics,” the spokesperson explained.
He said that some electronics like computers and phone-handsets are stolen through house break-in, vandalizing car windows and snatching them from pedestrians.
In other cases, the syndicate after stealing a mobile phone start calling contacts in the phonebook tricking their targets that they were recommended for a job by the rightful owner of the stolen phone.
If the target falls in the trap they demand that to get the job he or she must have a laptop as a prerequisite so as to install the software required to do the work.
When you give them the laptop to install the said software, that will be the last time you see them.
Kayigi urged those who have lost their electronic items to crosscheck with the nearest police stations where unclaimed exhibits are stored.
He, however, advised the general public to buy goods from recognized shops to avoid purchasing stolen items.
He further advised to always keep receipts or mark their items to prove ownership once such properties are recovered.
In some cases, Kayigi said, some claimants fail to present proof.
“We always find it had to hand over property recovered from suspected thieves because people who come to claim they do not have documents to ascertain ownership. You have to prove beyond doubt,” CIP Kayigi explained.
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