NBI: Chinese with alleged spy equipment accessed 5K mobile subscriber identity

The Chinese man who was arrested with alleged spy equipment near the building of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Manila may have accessed around 5,000 mobile subscriber identity, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said Monday.

NBI spokesperson Ferdinand Lavin said this is through an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) catcher, which can gather sensitive data and information like text messages, mobile numbers, and calls from mobile phones.

He said the range of the IMSI is between 500 meters to 3 kilometers.

“[It was] confirmed by our technical intelligence that indeed [the IMSI catcher] was in full operations,” Lavin said during the hearing of the Senate Special Committee on Philippine Maritime and Admiralty Zones.

“Around the time of the interjection, your honor, at around 1:30 on Tuesday last April 29, they informed us, our technical intelligence, that it has already accessed something like 5,000 mobile subscribers identity,” he added.

According to Lavin, the vehicle containing the IMSI traversed the areas of the Supreme Court, the Department of Justice, the Villamor Air Base, the Bureau of Internal Revenue, and the Comelec.

He said they are seeking a warrant to examine computer data against the IMSI catcher to confirm the reports.

“We are fast-tracking the application and the examination. This takes precedence or priority over the other matters, considering the urgency of the event,” he said.

Lavin said they will also analyze the date obtained from the IMSI catcher.

The man underwent inquest proceedings at the Department of Justice on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Comelec chairperson George Garcia maintained that no system or election data was compromised due to the incident. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News

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