The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) yesterday arrested a Chinese national following the discovery of spy equipment inside a vehicle parked near the main office of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Intramuros, Manila.
Through his passport, the foreigner was identified as Tak Hoi Lap, who rented a Mitsubishi Xpander carrying an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) catcher —a surveillance device used for eavesdropping and intercepting mobile phones and tracking location data.
NBI spokesperson Ferdinand Lavin said the suspect was arrested for alleged violations of the Espionage Law and the Data Privacy Act.
In an exclusive interview with Manila Standard, he said they will be taking him to NBI-National Capital Region (NCR) “for processing, documentation and filing of appropriate charges.”
“They will also subject the seized IMSI catcher (equipment) to cyber forensic laboratory examination and data analytics,” he disclosed
It was learned that an IMSI catcher mimics cellular towers to collect information and messages from the air within a three-kilometer radius.
Lavin underscored the possibility that the equipment may be used to interfere in the upcoming midterm elections.
The NBI has been monitoring the movements of Tak, who has been observed driving around Taguig and Makati cities during the past few days, he added.
It was not clear what tipped the NBI off on Tak’s activities in the first place, but he was not the first alleged Chinese spy collared by the bureau in recent months.
Earlier this year, the NBI arrested two Chinese nationals and three Filipino accomplices for allegedly conducting an espionage operation on Malacañang Palace, the US embassy compound, Camp Aguinaldo, and Villamor Airbase.
They were also caught using an IMSI catcher while driving around their targeted locations.
The NBI later said “thousands” of critical pieces of data had been gathered by the group before their arrest.
In a separate incident, five Chinese nationals were arrested for frequently visiting Ulugan Bay in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, under the guise of purchasing marine products.
However, it turned out they were conducting aerial surveillance and collecting imagery intelligence on Naval Detachment Oyster Bay.
Also, authorities arrested six Chinese nationals and their Filipino bodyguard for allegedly engaging in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) operations in Grande Island in Subic, Zambales.
The NBI said the suspected spies were occupying the island under the guise of recreational fishers, frequently lingering at the wharves.
The Philippine government’s enhanced campaign against foreign spies is widely believed to have triggered retaliatory actions from Beijing.
Three Filipinos employed in Hainan Island were recently rounded up and accused by Chinese authorities of spying for the non-existent “Philippine Intelligence Agency.”
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “NBI seizes spy tools near Comelec, arrests Chinese national.”
