3,000 cell phones seized in raid

At least 3,000 unregistered cellular phones were confiscated by a team of the National Telecommunications Communication (NTC) in a raid in Baclaran, Pasay City yesterday.

Aside from cracking down on unlicensed mobile phone dealers, the raid is also a strategy to curb mobile phone robberies.

The phones, all secondhand, were confiscated from several makeshift cell phone stalls at Baclaran Plaza.

Most of the phones seized were being sold in stalls built under the Light Rail Transit terminal in Baclaran. The stalls are reportedly part of the Baclaran Terminal 2 department store along F.B. Harrison Street.

The raid stemmed from information that the stall owners were selling stolen cell phones. It was also found out that said stalls also did not have the required permits from the NTC.

Elements of the Regional Special Action Group under Chief Superintendent Eric Javier served as backup of the NTC operatives in the raid, led by National Telecommunications Commissioner Abraham Abesamis.

"We do it (raids) regularly to prevent unauthorized group from their illegal activities," said Javier.

He said most of the cell phone dealers failed to present documents authorizing them to sell mobile phones, raising authorities’ suspicions that the merchandise were either stolen or smuggled into the country.

No arrests were made. Javier said the raid was only meant to enforce an administrative regulation.

"We just hope that with this operation other unlicensed dealers will secure proper documents to support their business. They only stand to lose more if they continue to break the law," Javier told The STAR.