NBI probes ‘Chinese spy network’

MANILA, Philippines —  A Chinese national arrested last week near the Commission on Elections (Comelec) central office in Manila  is being probed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Linking the incident to what officials described as a “covert and highly compartmentalized espionage network” operating in the country, NBI spokesman Ferdinand Lavin said the suspect carried an international mobile subscriber identity catcher.

An IMSI catcher is a surveillance device capable of intercepting mobile communications.

“We believe that a larger group is behind this. It appears to be highly compartmentalized,” Lavin said.

“The person who took over from the previous operator did not even know their name. But the equipment was turned over and kept running until we seized it,” Lavin added.

Probers said the surveillance device was transferred between people who seemingly had no direct connection to one another, reinforcing concerns about a structured and secretive network aimed at minimizing exposure.

Lavin described the discovery as “very alarming.”

The device, he said, had passed through or operated near several high-security locations, including Villamor Air Base, the US embassy in Manila, Supreme Court, Department of Justice, Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Comelec central office in Intramuros.

The IMSI catcher has been submitted to the Department of Justice and the police cybercrime forensic laboratory for analysis.

Authorities are working to determine the nature and extent of data intercepted as well as potential threats to national security.

The Comelec has reported no evidence of data breaches.

The NBI, however, is not discounting the possibility of foreign interference, especially with the midterm polls approaching.

“We cannot speculate, but that’s a possibility,” Lavin said. “Our intelligence community has expressed concern about potential foreign influence on Philippine elections.”