NBI nabs five for espionage

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Judge Jaime B. Santiago (Ret.) on Tuesday afternoon presented five individuals arrested on 20 February 2025 for violating the Espionage Act.

Santiago said that after the arrest of several Chinese nationals and some Filipinos last month for the same offense, an intel packet from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) intelligence service revealed numerous vehicles equipped with unauthorized International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) catchers conducting signal intelligence.

According to the NBI during the press conference, on 14 February 2025, the NBI-Cybercrime Division (CCD) and NBI-Special Task Force (STF) were alerted to suspicious vehicles purportedly utilizing IMSI catchers, frequenting military and police camps, essential systems, facilities, and national government assets within Metro Manila.

Agents from the CCD and STF validated the information and identified actionable intelligence through network monitoring, interference detection, and signal analysis tools. Systems were employed to locate and analyze rogue or unlicensed BTS, unauthorized transmissions, and interference sources, which yielded positive results.

A rogue BTS is an unauthorized or malicious base station that impersonates a legitimate cellular tower to intercept, manipulate, or disrupt mobile network communications. It is often used for unauthorized surveillance, eavesdropping, data theft, and network disruption.

Given the significant implications of these powerful tools for national security and the people's right to privacy, simultaneous interdiction operations were conducted on 20 February 2025.

The interdiction operations resulted in the arrest of three Filipinos, who claimed they were commissioned by a Chinese national residing in a condominium in Malate, Manila.

They further alleged that they were instructed to drive through key areas, including Villamor Airbase, Camp Aguinaldo, Malacañang, Camp Crame, and the US Embassy, among others, for a fee ranging from P2,500 to P3,000 a month.

Thus, NBI agents proceeded to Qinhui’s residence, and through coordinated efforts, he was eventually arrested together with his cohort, another Chinese national.

The wife of the first Chinese suspect said that she didn’t know about her husband's activities but admitted they had several ICT equipment (IMSI catchers) in their condominium unit and that he employed the three Filipinos to run and operate the equipment within Metro Manila.

To prove she had nothing to do with the activities, she voluntarily surrendered multiple sets of the equipment (including IMSI catchers) to the NBI operatives.

The arrested subjects underwent inquest proceedings before the Office of the State Prosecutor, Department of Justice, for violations of R.A. 10175. Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, and Commonwealth Act No. 616, The Espionage Act of 1941.