The Philippine National Police (PNP) has ramped up its campaign against the illegal sale of text blasters believed to have originated from shuttered Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogos), following recent operations in Cavite and Parañaque City.
PNP Chief Orders Heightened Monitoring
PNP Chief Police General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. ordered on Friday, May 8, 2026, all police units to step up intelligence monitoring and enforcement operations targeting what he described as a “guerrilla-style” black market for these devices.
Nartatez explained that the equipment, once widely used in large-scale scam hubs, is now being sold individually through social media platforms and online marketplaces after the closure of Pogos.
Guerrilla-Style Distribution
“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,” Nartatez said.
“We cannot allow these to proliferate and our police units were already tasked to intensify intelligence-monitoring and strategic operations against all those involved,” he added.
Recent Arrests in Entrapment Operations
The PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) recently arrested three suspects in separate entrapment operations involving the online sale of GSM-based text blasters.
In Parañaque City, two suspects allegedly sold three 32-port text blaster units worth P40,000 each. In Cavite, another suspect was arrested for allegedly selling two 32-slot 4G text-blast devices priced at P20,000 each.
Police said some of the individuals involved were former Pogo workers who allegedly kept the equipment after the industry shutdown and later resold the devices.
Cybersecurity Risks Highlighted
Nartatez warned that the devices pose serious cybersecurity risks because they can bypass traditional telecommunications security systems.
“The danger of these text blasters lies in their ability to bypass traditional network security. Unlike internet-based scams, these devices act as portable cell sites, forcing nearby phones to receive unsolicited and often malicious messages,” he said.
He added that the gadgets continue to be widely used in smishing and phishing operations.
Zero-Tolerance Policy on Online Sales
The PNP chief also directed the Anti-Cybercrime Group to intensify monitoring of online selling platforms to track down individuals advertising the restricted devices.
“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.
