A Chinese intelligence ring was shattered in Turkey after its operatives reportedly eavesdropped on Uyghurs and Turkish officials using fake mobile towers.
Turkish intelligence announced earlier this month that it had caught seven suspects red-handed.
Their vehicles were found carrying IMSI-catcher devices, which function as fake base stations to collect data, phone logs, conversations and other information from nearby phones.
Intelligence sources indicated that some members of the ring had entered Turkey in March. However evealed that the operation had been active for the past five years.
The cell’s leader, a Chinese citizen identified by the initials ZL, allegedly arrived in Turkey five years ago to establish the groundwork for the intelligence operation. This included setting up shell companies, such as a logistics firm and an import-export company, and learning Turkish to better coordinate the efforts.
The report stated that the suspects, all Chinese citizens, established a sophisticated operation that was self-funded by preying on regular Turkish citizens.
They allegedly hacked into bank accounts to drain savings for operational expenses, while their primary aim was to collect personal information belonging to Uyghurs and Turkish officials.
IMSI-catcher devices mimic legitimate mobile phone tower signals. When a target’s phone comes within approximately 50 metres of an active ghost base station, it connects to the device, believing it to be a normal cell tower.
