2 Malaysians nabbed, spying devices seized

Local

ALLEGED spying devices capable of intercepting high-speed cellular data were found hidden in a Cebu City hotel room last Friday, August 8.

This sparked a cybercrime probe that led to the arrest of two foreign nationals.

Authorities seized advanced cellular and data sniffers from two Malaysian nationals, whose names withheld, after hotel staff tipped off management about suspicious equipment last July 28.

The Bureau of Immigration arrested the suspects last week for immigration violations. They were staying at a hotel around the North Reclamation Area in Cebu City.

The National Bureau of Investigation Central Visayas Regional Office (NBI 7) said housekeeping first discovered several electronic devices in the suspects’ room and reported them, suspecting possible bomb components.

Hotel management then alerted authorities, triggering a joint operation involving the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordination Center, Bureau of Immigration, and other government agencies.

The NBI obtained a search and seizure warrant from Cebu Regional Trial Court Branch 11 Judge Ramon B. Daomilas Jr. on August 5.

NBI Supervising Agent Francis V. Señora led a composite team from NBI, CICC, the Department of Information and Communications Technology, and the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) in serving the warrant and confiscating the devices.

Among the seized items were laptops, Raspberry Pi units, antennas, and modular setups as “cellular and data sniffers” capable of intercepting network signals up to 5G speed.

NTC’s Atty. Allan Felix J. Macaraya confirmed that some of the devices required prior approval before operation.

The equipment will undergo forensic analysis to build the case, with charges expected under the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 (Republic Act 10175).

“This connotes the modus of scammers to shift their area of operation from building offices and residential homes to hotels and resorts,” the NBI said.

Authorities urged hotel staff to remain vigilant and report suspicious technical setups immediately.(MyTVCebu)