On July 3, 2025, at 7:42 PM in Mati City, Davao Oriental Province, operatives of the Davao Oriental Provincial Cyber Response Team (DO PCRT) conducted an entrapment operation that led to the arrest of five suspects for the illegal online sale of registered Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards.

The operation stemmed from the information received by the DO PCRT that a certain cellphone shop inside a mall was selling registered prepaid SIM cards to interested buyers online. The assorted prepaid SIM cards were offered for sale at Php100.00 each.

All suspects are facing charges for violation of Section 11(g) of RA No. 11934 (SIM Registration Act of 2022) in relation to Section 6 of RA No. 10175 (Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012).

The operation is in line with the directive of Police General Nicolas D. Torre III, Chief of the PNP, to strengthen cyber patrolling and take immediate legal actions to ensure that cybercriminals do not have a place on social media platforms.

Police Brigadier General Bernard R. Yang, Acting Director of the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group, commended the operatives for the successful operation. He also stated, “The sale of registered SIM cards poses a serious threat to public safety by enabling scams and other cybercrimes. We are determined to prevent these operations and hold offenders accountable. We encourage everyone to stay informed and report any suspicious online activities involving SIM cards to any ACG office for appropriate action.”