Operatives of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) found various electronic devices and sim cards from the third floor of a residential building that caught fire in Quezon City, on Tuesday, May 6.

The BFP reported that the fire broke out at around 4:25 a.m. in a three-story residential building on Sampaguita Street, Barangay Batasan Hills. It was declared under control by 4:42 a.m. with no reported casualties.

Police said the property owner, Anghelito, 61, a store owner and long-time resident of Barangay Batasan Hills, told investigators that the building's third floor had been rented by a Chinese national on April 3.

During a post-fire clearing operation, QCPD and BFP personnel discovered an array of electronic equipment on the third floor, including three desktop computers, two central processing units (CPUs), a router, a laptop, a mobile phone, nine text blaster devices, and 5,757 SIM cards.

Investigators also recovered a Chinese passport bearing the name “Liu,” reportedly a resident of Chongqing Province, China.

A Philippine-issued ID belonging to Christine, the property owner's daughter, was also found.

Initial coordination with the Bureau of Immigration (BI) confirmed that Liu entered the Philippines on Feb. 22 on a 9G visa and has no derogatory records on file.

Authorities are also investigating the potential criminal implications of the equipment found.

“Rest assured, QCPD is working closely with relevant agencies to determine the full extent of this incident and hold those responsible accountable. We will not allow any activity that poses a threat to public safety or national security,” QCPD Officer-in-Charge Col. Randy Glenn Silvio said.

Silvio also urged the public to report any suspicious activity in their communities.