NBI Arrests 3 for Illicit Sale of Pre-registered SIM Cards

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested three Filipinos in a series of operations targeting the sale of pre-registered SIM cards that investigators said were being supplied to scam hubs, Philippine offshore gaming operators, illegal online lending application collection agents and other cybercriminals. The bureau said its Cybercrime Division launched the operations after uncovering the alleged illicit trade in pre-registered SIM cards. An entrapment operation in Pasay City on July 9 led to the arrest of a suspect allegedly selling the SIM cards. Information obtained during the operation prompted a controlled delivery in Makati City, where authorities arrested a Nigerian national who had allegedly received the SIM cards. The NBI said a forensic examination of seized gadgets linked him to an alleged online “love scam.” Follow-up operations in Parañaque City and Manila led to the arrest of two more suspects and the seizure of 730 pre-registered SIM cards. NBI Director Melvin A. Matibag said the operations targeted not only scam operators but also the supply chain providing pre-registered SIM cards to cybercriminals. — Mark Joseph M. Sanchez