Vendor of illegal telecom devices busted in Manila

A man was recently arrested in Sta. Ana, Manila, for allegedly selling illegal telecommunication devices in a buy-bust operation initiated by Globe Telecom and antifraud operatives.

Caught during the entrapment was Mark Lewis Teng Chua, who faces charges for violating the Access Device Regulation Act of 1998.

Chua was arrested following a test buy of a signal booster-repeater in his store. Upon verification with the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), it was learned that the equipment was not approved by the agency and that the company which sells it is not authorized to do so.

A Globe Security antifraud operative posed as buyer. Chua was brought to Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City, for investigation.

Illegal repeaters cause network interference since they are not calibrated properly, causing cell-phone subscribers to experience dropped calls, garbled lines and weak signals, according to a statement from the telecom company.

They come in the form of indoor or outdoor antennas and wireless adapters which boost network coverage and signals by hogging bandwidth from a legitimate network infrastructure.

“The use of illegal repeaters to get good network coverage at the expense of others is a totally unfair practice, especially as it impacts a great majority of subscribers in an identified area,” said Froilan M. Castelo, Globe Corporate and Legal Services Group head.

“With our strengthened partnerships with the police, courts and other government institutions like the NTC, Globe will remain relentless in going after and prosecuting perpetrators,” Castelo said.