2 nabbed for selling registered SIM cards

Authorities arrested two individuals for selling SIM cards registered under a fictitious identity in Makati City.

The arrested suspects were identified as Chinese national and businessman Zhao Jinxing and Filipino Cristobal Cacayurin, according to John Consulta’s “24 Oras” report on Tuesday

The Southern Police District (SPD) said arrested suspects were selling registered SIM cards to Filipino and Chinese nationals.

“Meron na po tayong batas na SIM Card Registration Act na kung saan ang sarili mong SIM card ay dapat nakaregister sa sarili mong pangalan. Ngunit itong grupong ito ay may hawak na sim card na mayroon na pong nakapangalan sa ibang tao na fictitious po, hindi po totoo,” SPD district director Police Brigadier General Kirby John Kraft said.

(Under the SIM Card Registration Act you can your SIM card must be registered in your own name. But this group is selling a SIM card that is registered under a fictitious person.)

“Yung regular SIM card po eh nagkakahalaga lang ng P45 pero itong grupo pong ito ibinebenta po ng P1,500 to P2,500 dahil nga po nakarehistro na po ito at may sariling mobile wallet app,” he added.

(A regular SIM card only costs P45 but this group is selling it for P1,500 to P2,500 because it is already registered and has its own mobile wallet app.)

Authorities confiscated 100 registered SIM cards and marked money from the suspects.

This was the first reported arrest in violation of the Republic Act No. 11934 or the SIM Registration Act.

The suspects, however, denied the allegations.

“Hindi ko alam. Kung alam ko lang po yan, edi di na ako nagdrive,” Cacayurin said.

(I did not know. If only I knew that, I wouldn't drive him.)

Zhao also denied the allegations, saying that another Filipino was also selling registered SIM cards.

“Nakakatakot po ito dahil ito po ay maaaring mapasakamay po ng mga kriminal at magamit po nila sa panloloko kagaya po ng scam. Nafilan na po natin sila ng kasong violation po ng Cybercrime Act of 2012 at itong SIM Card Registration Act,” Kraft said.

(This is scary because it can get into the hands of criminals and they can use it for fraud. We already filed a complaint against them for violation of the Cybercrime Act of 2012 and the SIM Card Registration Act.)

Authorities are still conducting follow up operations for their alleged accomplices.

The SIM Registration Act or Republic Act 11934 seeks to end crimes using the platform including text and online scams by regulating the sale and the use of SIMs through mandatory registration of end-users.

The law was signed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in October 2022. —Richa Noriega/ VAL, GMA Integrated News