Residents of Kiambu Sub-County have been cautioned against buying second-hand mobile phones from unknown people as they may have been stolen.
Kiambu OCPD Stephen Ng'etich on Wednesday said innocent people have been lured into buying used phones without ascertaining their ownership.
"Think twice if the deal is too good. Some phones are snatched from victims of robberies and those found with them can be charged as accomplices," he warned.
He cited a recent incident where police arrested a man found in possession of a mobile phone that belonged to a murder victim in Banana area three months ago.
He said the man had to reveal the identity of the person who sold him the device before he was released.
"Make sure you ascertain the ownership of the phone by being shown a receipt. Otherwise you are buying at your own risk," he added.
A student from The Technical University of Kenya and a resident of Kiambu town, Eric Muange, said that he bought a phone through an online site but his joy turned to horror after the police detained him telling him that he threatened a prominent person.
He said that he was, however, released after answering questions that helped the police with investigations but pledged never to purchase second-hand items.