By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan
MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) is intensifying its crackdown on the “guerrilla-style” sale of illegal text blasters, particularly devices allegedly sourced from defunct Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs).
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said Friday the specialized equipment, once used in large-scale scam hubs, is now being sold individually through social media and e-commerce platforms.
“While we have seen a decline in centralized scam hubs since the 2024 POGO ban, we are now facing a guerrilla-style distribution. These devices are being pulled out from closed firms and sold individually to smaller criminal elements,” Nartatez said in a statement.
“We cannot allow these to proliferate and our police units were already tasked to intensify intelligence-monitoring and strategic operations against all those involved,” he added.
The PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) recently arrested three suspects in separate entrapment operations in Parañaque City and Cavite for allegedly selling GSM-based text blasters online.
In Parañaque, two suspects allegedly sold three 32-port units worth PHP40,000 each, while another suspect in Cavite was caught selling two 32-slot 4G text-blast devices priced at PHP20,000 each.
Police said some of the suspects were former POGO workers who allegedly kept the equipment after the closure of offshore gaming firms and later resold them online.
“The danger of these text blasters lies in their ability to bypass traditional network security. Unlike internet-based scams, these devices act as portable cell sites, forcing nearby phones to receive unsolicited and often malicious messages,” Nartatez said.
He said the devices remain a major tool for large-scale smishing and phishing operations.
Nartatez has ordered the PNP-ACG to intensify cyber patrols and surveillance of online marketplaces to stop the proliferation of the illegal devices.
“We are working in lockstep with the National Telecommunications Commission to enforce a zero-tolerance policy on e-commerce sites. Our PNP-ACG conducts 24/7 cyber patrolling to identify these listings,” he said. (PNA)
