Pre-registered SIM card supplier for illegal POGOs falls

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents arrested a Chinese national Wednesday accused of selling pre-registered SIM cards to illegal offshore gaming operators and online scam syndicates.

The suspect was apprehended 30 March in Tondo, Manila, following an investigation into reports that he was using the messaging app Telegram to market the cards.

“Investigation revealed that the SIM cards were being sold to clandestine POGOs, individuals, and syndicates engaged in various online scamming activities,” the NBI said in a statement.

During an entrapment operation, an NBI agent tested a SIM card provided by the suspect and confirmed it was already registered and active. Authorities moved in to arrest the suspect after he accepted marked money from the undercover operative.

NBI agents seized 49 Smart SIM cards and a mobile phone during the operation.

The suspect was presented for inquest proceedings before the Manila City Prosecutor’s Office.

He faces charges for alleged violations of the SIM Card Registration Act in relation to the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

The bureau said the arrest is part of an ongoing effort to dismantle networks that facilitate cybercrime by stripping illegal operators of the anonymity provided by pre-registered accounts.

“By enforcing the SIM Card Registration Act, the Bureau aims to strip online scammers and illegal offshore operators of the anonymity they require to exploit the public,” the NBI said.