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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Cops arrest 410 cybercriminals in 3Q 2025; 2 more arrested for SMS phishing

Cops arrest 410 cybercriminals in 3Q 2025; 2 more arrested for SMS phishing

Published Oct 20, 2025 05:41 pm
YANG
YANG
Agents of the Anti-Cybercrime Group of the Philippine National Police (PNP-ACG) arrested 410 people for various offenses relating to the cybercrime law in the third quarter of this year.
PNP-ACG director Brig. Gen. Bernard Yang said those arrested from July to September 2025 were from entrapment operations and accounting of wanted persons with arrest warrants for cases relating to cybercrime.
A total of 311 people, he said, were collared in entrapment operations while the rest were wanted persons.
“We also rescued 26 minors from abuse and helped convict 58 individuals in cybercrime-related cases for the same period,” said Yang in a press briefing at Camp Crame in Quezon City.
On the other hand, he said a total of 338 cyber warrants were carried out, resulting in the filing of 387 cases and 240 inquest proceedings.
For the entire third quarter, the PNP-ACG conducted 426 digital forensic examinations.
In the same press briefing, Yang announced the arrest of two people tagged in an SMS (short messaging system) phishing scam.
He said the suspects were using International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) catcher apparatus in Makati and Mandaluyong City.
The modus, he said, is that the suspects would send text messages about claiming a reward from a certain telecommunications company.
Yang said the operations stemmed from an intelligence report received by the PNP ACG through the Cyber Patrolling and Intelligence Unit (CPIU) regarding several individuals who are using an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) Catcher installed on a vehicle roaming around major cities, including Makati, Bonifacio Global City (BGC), and Mall of Asia (MOA), to send SMS messages containing phishing links, commonly known as smishing.
The background investigation and intelligence gathering revealed that the two suspects were indeed involved in illegal activities.
Yang said the confiscated IMSI catchers were immediately turned over to the National Telecommunications Commissions (NTC) for the conduct of technical examination and issuance of certification confirming that the suspects had no authority to possess nor operate such devices.
“The arrest of these suspects behind SMS phishing scams reflects our strong commitment to stop criminals who exploit communication networks to steal personal and financial information,” said Yang.
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