FBI, Cops Arrest Suspected Filipino Terror Hackers

SNIPPET: "MANILA, Philippines—A group of suspected Filipino hackers allegedly financed by a Saudi-based terrorist cell was arrested by agents of the Philippine National Police and the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) disclosed on Thursday."

SNIPPET: "The group was allegedly behind attacks on the US telecommunication firm AT&T that resulted in $2 million in losses to the company in 2009.

In a statement, the CIDG said the group also had links to the Asian terrorist network Jemaah Islamiyah (JI)."

SNIPPET: "ATCCD chief Senior Supt. Gilbert Sosa identified the suspects as Macnell Gracilla, 31, a native of Carmen Rosales, Pangasinan and resident of Unit 5, Montiville Place, Greenville Subdivision, Sauyo, Quezon City; Francisco Manalac, 25, and his live-in partner Regina Balura, 21, both of 89 Sampaguita Extension, East Bagong Barrio, Caloocan City; and Paul Michael Kwan, 29, of 21 Hebrew St., West Bagong Barrio, Caloocan City.

Sosa added that Kwan had been previously arrested in 2007 by Philippine authorities following an international crackdown launched by the FBI against “suspected terrorist cells involved in financing terrorist activities.”"

SNIPPET: "Sosa said that in 2007, FBI operatives arrested Pakistani JI member Muhammad Zamir in Italy.

Zamir’s group, which was later tagged by the FBI as the financial source of the terrorist attack in Mumbai, India, in November 2008, was also the same group that financed Kwan’s group of hackers in Manila, he said."

http://forum.internet-haganah.com/showthread.php?382-Filipino-phone-phreaks-Pakistani-terrorists-and-a-dead-guy-in-Madagascar

Filipino phone phreaks, Pakistani terrorists, and a dead guy in Madagascar
(November 26, 2011)

SNIPPET: “uthorities in the Philippines report arresting individuals involved in hacking ATT phone services.

This case has a long and sordid history. I’ll begin with my entry at sofir.org from 17 June 2009.”

Indictment - Link
http://s88179113.onlinehome.us/2011-11-26/USA-v-Nusier_Kwan_and_Gomez-indictment.pdf

http://www.sofir.org/sarchives/006300.php

17 June 2009

“INVOLVEMENT IN CRIME PLACES THE TERRORIST ENTERPRISE AT RISK...”

SNIPPET: “...and involvement in terrorism similarly endangers the criminal enterprise. Either way it’s a win-win situation if you are in law enforcement or counter-terrorism. This at least is my initial reaction to the case of the Global Jihad and the phone phreaks in the Philippines.”

ADDING to post no. 4:

http://www.sofir.org/sarchives/006300.php

17 June 2009

“INVOLVEMENT IN CRIME PLACES THE TERRORIST ENTERPRISE AT RISK...”

SNIPPET: “The cracked phone accounts were accessed via, and/or access to those accounts was sold through store front calling centers in Italy (and perhaps elsewhere in Europe). Losses to the victimized owners of the long distance accounts are in the tens of millions of dollars.

At least $560,000USD was siphoned off of this business and contributed to the Islamist charity operated by Jamal Khalifa. Mr. Khalifa was brother-in-law to Osama bin Laden, is credited with underwriting the spread of al-Qaida in southeast Asia, and is past tense, having been killed under appropriately mysterious circumstances in February of 2007.

Interestingly, reports indicate that the investigation into this matter began with an tip from US authorities in May of 2007. A coincidence, I’m sure...”

NOTE The following text is a quote:

cidg.pnp.gov.ph/NewsPress.htm

News/Press Releases

November 24, 2011

CIDG-FBI bust Manila hackers group link to JI terrorists

Joint operatives from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have busted a group of Filipino hackers whose operation is allegedly being financed by a Saudi-based terrorist group.

CIDG director, Police Director Samuel D Pagdilao Jr. said that last night’s operation stemmed from the complaint of AT&T, a US-based telecommunication company and the FBI regarding the activities of Filipino hackers who hacked the system of AT&T. The hacking activity resulted to almost $2-million in losses incurred by the company.

Pagdilao said that armed with several search warrants, members of the CIDG’s Anti-Transnational and Cyber Crime Division (ATCCD) and FBI agents struck at several target areas in Metro Manila last night that resulted in the arrests of four suspects and the confiscation of computer and telecommunication equipment believed to be used by the suspects in their hacking activities.

ATCCD chief, Police Senior Superintendent Gilbert Sosa identified the arrested suspects as Macnell Gracilla, 31, a native of Carmen Rosales, Pangasinan and resident of Unit 5, Montiville Place, Greenville Subdivision, Sauyo, Quezon City; Francisco Manalac, 25, and his live-in partner Regina Balura, 21, both of # 89 Sampaguita Extension, East Bagong Barrio, Calooocan City, and Paul Michael Kwan, 29, of # 21 Hebrew St., West Bagong Barrio, Caloocan City.

Sosa added that prior to last night’s arrest of Kwan, the suspect has been arrested in 2007 by Philippine authorities following the international crackdown launched by the FBI against suspected terrorist cells involved in financing terrorist activities.

Sosa said that FBI agents who have been investigating incessant hacking of telecommunication companies in the US and in the country since 1999 have uncovered paper trail of various bank transactions linking the local hackers to the Saudi-based cell whose activities include financing terrorist activities.

Sosa said that in 2007, FBI operatives have arrested Pakistani Jemaah Islamiyah member Muhammad Zamir in Italy. Zamir’s group, who was later tagged by the FBI to be the financial source of the terrorist attack in Mubai, India in November 26, 2008, is also the same group that paid Kwan’s group of hackers in Manila.

Sosa said that Kwan and the other hackers in Manila were being used by the Zamir’s terrorists group to hack the trunk-line (PBX) of different telecommunication companies including the AT&T. Revenues derived from the hacking activities of the Filipino-based hackers were diverted to the account of the terrorists, who paid the Filipino hackers on a commission basis via local banks.

After Zamir’s arrest in 2007, a Saudi-national took helm of the operation of the group, who also maintained its link with the group of Filipino hackers based in Manila.

On March 2011, FBI authorities requested the CIDG-ATCCD assistance after they found out that the group has targeted the AT&T in the US and that the same group of Filipino hackers is involved.

Pagdilao said that the recent arrest of Filipino hackers tied to a group involved in financing terrorist activities should serve as a wake-up call to legislators to speed-up the passage of the Cyber Crime Prevention Bill now pending in Congress in order to address proactively the threat of cyber crime terrorists who have made the country their base of operations.

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