THE Central Visayas police anti-cybercrime unit dismantled two makeshift stations believed to be illegally accessing signal from cell sites of a telecommunications company in Tungkil, Minglanilla and Basak, Lapu-Lapu City Friday afternoon, March 15.
The Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit (Racu)-Central Visayas said the operation stemmed from a complaint against five Information Technology (IT) graduates, who were accused of illegally accessing signal from a Globe cell site.
Globe was able to trace the illegal connection from its system and identified the five persons who were able to use its signal without paying for it, Racu said in a press release.
The illegal connection caused signal interference like weak signal, slow internet and choppy calls. It also reportedly caused the telco to lose millions over unpaid phone calls outside the Philippines.
A search warrant was then issued by Judge Ramon Daomilas of Cebu City Regional Trial Court Branch 11 against the five IT graduates for violation of Section 9 (e) and (j) of Republic Act (RA) 8484, also known as Access Devices Regulation Act of 1998, as well as Section (2) for illegal interception of RA 10175.
Confiscated during the operation were various Globe telephone lines, desktops, routers, modems, assorted cables, conjunction boxes and assorted receipts.
"The police operation was a result of a tedious surveillance based on the information given by personnel of Globe Telecom," the Racu said.
"This is an organized crime because the same thing is happening in Dumaguete City from the same main server," it added.
The subjects, however, were not present when the search warrants were served.
A follow-up investigation will be conducted against them. (SunStar Cebu)