The Philippine National Police (PNP) has intensified its campaign against the illegal sale of text blasters believed to have originated from now-defunct Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), following recent operations in Cavite and Parañaque City.
PNP chief Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. ordered police units to strengthen intelligence monitoring and law enforcement operations targeting individuals involved in the underground trade of these communication devices.
According to Nartatez, authorities are now dealing with a “guerrilla-style” distribution system in which the equipment is being sold piece by piece to smaller criminal groups through online marketplaces and social media 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,” he said.
The PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) recently conducted separate entrapment operations that led to the arrest of three suspects allegedly involved in selling GSM-based text blasters online.
In Parañaque City, two suspects were caught allegedly selling three 32-port text blasting devices worth P40,000 each. Another suspect was arrested in Cavite for reportedly selling two 32-slot 4G text-blasting units priced at P20,000 each.
Investigators believe some of the sellers were former POGO employees who kept the equipment after the closure of the offshore gaming industry and later resold them through online channels.
Police warned that the devices pose a serious cybersecurity threat because they can bypass regular network protections. Unlike internet-based scams, text blasters operate as portable cell sites capable of forcing nearby mobile phones to receive fraudulent or malicious messages.
Authorities said the gadgets have become key tools in smishing and phishing schemes targeting unsuspecting cellphone users.
The PNP chief also directed the ACG to strengthen surveillance operations against online sellers offering the devices through digital storefronts and e-commerce sites.
The police force is coordinating with the National Telecommunications Commission to monitor and remove online listings involving illegal communication equipment.
“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,” Nartatez said.