January 21, 2025
MANILA – The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), together with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), has arrested suspected a Chinese “sleeper agent” involved in espionage activities targeting military and police installations, as well as critical Philippine infrastructure.
The arrested individual, identified as Deng Yuanqing, is a technical software engineer connected with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). NBI Director Jaime Santiago said Deng studied at the PLA-controlled University of Science and Technology in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Deng specializes in control engineering and automation systems.
Also arrested along with Deng were his Filipino cohorts, Ronel Jojo Balundo Besa and Jason Amado Fernandez.
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The suspects were arrested last Friday in Makati.
“I think he has been in the country for five years or more already…And we believe that he can be dubbed as a ‘sleeper’ because, through our monitoring, he was acting just like an ordinary person,” said NBI Cybercrime Division and the Special Task Force (STF) Atty. Jeremy Lotoc.
They used a Toyota Rav4 equipped with advanced espionage devices, including tools for data collection and transmission.
Among the equipment recovered was a GNSS RPK Global Navigation Satellite System, capable of generating 3D images of target structures.
“These devices were used to survey critical infrastructure such as military camps, LGU offices, power plants, police camps, and even shopping malls,” Lotoc said.
He added: “As of the moment, we were able to establish that they are engaged in ISR operations, meaning intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations, to the prejudice of our national defense considering that their targets are mostly critical infrastructures connected to national security.”
Lotoc said aside from military and police camps, power plants, and malls, the suspects also frequented Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites.
“Basically, they are collecting data, and they have a remote application which, in real-time, transmits outside. This application has a user who is based remotely outside of the country and collects the data by the suspected Chinese spy,” Lotoc said.
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AFP Chief of Staff Romeo Brawner Jr. said the information collected from the suspects is “very dangerous” if it falls into the hands of another country’s military.
Meanwhile, Lotoc said when they checked the suspects’ mobile phones, they saw deposit slips of P1.5 million a week.
The three are facing complaints of Espionage under Section 1 (A) and 2 (A) of Commonwealth Act No. 616 in relation to Republic Act 10175, The Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.