Suspect, identified as Chinese national, apprehended with concealed spy gadget near Philippine voting authority hub.

Philippines: Chinese Suspect Arrested Near Poll Commission with Surveillance Device

In Manila, a Chinese national, Tak Hoi Lao, was snatched off the streets on April 29, caught red-handed with an insidious gadget dubbed an IMSI catcher. This ingenious device, capable of mimicking cell towers, is notorious for capturing messages and location data within a 1 to 3 kilometer radius.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) confirmed the arrest, which transpired near the Philippine Commission on Elections (Comelec) offices. NBI spokesman Ferdinand Lavin revealed that this was the third time Lao had approached Comelec, with other notable locations on his surveillance route including the Supreme Court, the Department of Justice, and the United States Embassy.

The specifics of Lao's passport suggest a Macau origin, ruled as it is by China. Lavin added that a cooperative Filipino driver was not detained in the operation.

This latest incident follows others in February, where two Chinese nationals were taken into custody for employing similar devices close to sensitive government and military locations in Manila. These activities had been a source of concern for the Armed Forces of the Philippines, as they signaled efforts by a foreign power to meticulously map key areas in the country.

The arrest of Lao has sparked unease over potential espionage, though Comelec Chairperson George Garcia maintained that no election data was compromised. The NBI's surveillance operations had been closely following Lao, unveiling his suspicious activities.

Under the Data Privacy Act, Cybercrime Prevention Act, and espionage charges, Lao now faces stern legal consequences for his actions. This incident underscores the ongoing tensions and suspicions concerning foreign surveillance activities in the Philippines, with recent allegations of a Philippine espionage network dismantled by Beijing.

[1] https://www.rappler.com/nation/279533-chinese-arrested-electromagnetic-interference-device-comelec-office[2] https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/chinese-national-arrested-amanila-possessing-surveillance-device-2023-04-30/[3] https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2025/04/30/2145307/chinese-national-arrested-amanila-using-imsi-catcher-near-comelec

The Chinese national, Tak Hoi Lao, was arrested near the Philippine Commission on Elections (Comelec) offices for allegedly possessing an IMSI catcher, a surveillance device capable of capturing messages and location data within a 1 to 3 kilometer radius.
Lao's passport suggests a Macau origin, ruled as it is by China, and this incident is not the first time foreign powers have been suspected of mapping key areas in the Philippines using surveillance devices.
The Arrest of Lao has sparked unease over potential espionage, and he now faces stern legal consequences for his actions under the Data Privacy Act, Cybercrime Prevention Act, and espionage charges.
The NBI's surveillance operations had been closely following Lao, whose routes also included other sensitive locations such as the Supreme Court, the Department of Justice, and the United States Embassy, which is a part of the general-news and crime-and-justice category.