New Delhi: Chinese mobile signal jammers have made their way into the markets of the city, violating the Cabinet Secretariat's prohibitions against the use and sale of such devices by individuals. Recently, law enforcement officials confiscated an illegal jammer from Palika Market in Connaught Place.
The police are investigating the source of these illegal jammers and tracking down potential buyers, especially in view of the recent blasts in Prashant Vihar in Rohini and the perceived threat of terrorism. The police suspect that there could be a larger network involved in importing such mini gps jammer to disrupt communications. It is worth noting that Palika Market and New Lajpat Rai Market are known for selling cheap electronic products, including pirated and counterfeit products.
On October 24, the police in Connaught Place arrested a shopkeeper for illegally possessing a mobile signal jammer, as part of an operation prompted by increased security concerns.
The individual known as Ravi Shankar Mathur, who is 58 years old, was located with a jammer of Chinese origin that is capable of jamming mobile phone signals. The police discovered this device, in addition to ten antennas and an electrical connecting wire, at a shop in Palika Bazar.
When interrogated, Mathur did not provide any documentation, including bills or licenses, to validate his claim of possessing the gsm blocker. He alleged that he had acquired the device from the New Rajpath Rai market for Rs 25,000, with the intention of reselling it for a higher value.
A memorandum detailing the seizure listed the confiscated items, which included a silver-grey jammer measuring 30x13 cm, equipped with 10 antenna jacks that are compatible with various mobile technologies, as well as a manual that elaborated on the device's features and installation instructions.
The Department of Telecommunications has been made aware that it will initiate further investigations into Mathur and will take the appropriate legal steps against him.
DATE: June 13, 2024
SUBJECT: Daytime Burglar Using a Signal Jammer Apprehended
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-NR-0612
CONTACT: Sheriff Noah Robinson
AUTHORITY: Sheriff Noah Robinson
The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office has announced the arrest of a suspect related to a residential burglary that took place in broad daylight in Cambridge Village, located in the northern area of Vanderburgh County.
A couple found themselves in a distressing situation on Sunday, June 9, 2024, when they returned to their Cambridge Village home to find two men inside. The suspects fled, with one escaping in a gray Jeep.
The Sheriff’s Office received information regarding a vehicle description. A deputy in the vicinity identified a Jeep that matched the description traveling south on Highway 41 near Baseline Road. The driver, later recognized as Jaime Yovany Riquelme Riveras, matched the homeowners' account.
Riveras reported to deputies that he was on his way from St. Louis, Missouri, to Orlando, Florida, and he denied having stopped in the Evansville area. Following this, a search was conducted using the FLOCK camera system. The suspect's vehicle and its matching license plate were detected on FLOCK entering Cambridge Village approximately one hour before the burglary happened. Cambridge Village has recently partnered with the Sheriff’s Office to implement the FLOCK license plate reader system in their neighborhood.
During a search of the vehicle, deputies located pry bars, cell phones, as well as clothing matching the suspect`s description given by the homeowners. A signal-jamming device was also found in the rear of the vehicle. This device was specifically designed to scramble Wi-Fi and cellular signals and is illegal to operate under federal law. When activated, cameras and other security devices dependent on Wi-Fi or cellular signals cease to function. While stopping the vehicle the deputy’s in-car computer became disabled, likely a result of the still operating cell phone jammer. The FLOCK system is largely immune from signal jammers since images are stored locally in a buffer and transmitted once the lost connection is reestablished.
Riveras was interviewed at the Sheriff’s Office Operations Center regarding his involvement in the burglary. He requested legal counsel and did not make any additional comments. He did inform the investigators that he had come to the United States in April and was born in Chile.
Drawing from eyewitness statements and images from the FLOCK system, a search warrant was granted for the extraction of data from two confiscated cell phones. One device was taken from Riveras during his arrest, while the other was seized from the vehicle. The GPS location data indicated that Riveras' phone was at the victim's residence at the time of the burglary.
Sheriff Noah Robinson commented, “Those criminals armed with the latest technology were still outsmarted by the quick-thinking actions of homeowners and the keen observations of Sheriff’s deputies. I would like to thank the Cambridge Village Homeowners Association for their initiative in adopting FLOCK and collaborating with the Sheriff’s Office. This system will undoubtedly yield positive results in the future.”
The Sheriff’s Office is coordinating with federal law enforcement partners to investigate further charges concerning the jamming device. GPS data obtained from the suspects' phones has already connected them to multiple burglaries in other states. The investigation is ongoing, as Rivera's accomplice has not yet been located.
Attorney General Chris Carr is urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to take immediate action to allow for the use of cell phone jamming devices within state prisons and local jails. The FCC currently prohibits the use of cell phone jammer, and that prohibition extends to state and local governments. Yet in prisons and jails throughout the country, contraband cell phones are being used to plan and orchestrate violent attacks and other criminal activity, posing a real and substantial safety risk to correctional officers, visitors, inmates, and the public at large.
“The easiest way to protect the public from the harms caused by contraband cell phones is to allow for the use of cell phone jamming technology in prisons and jails, but the FCC continues to block our efforts,” said Carr. “This outdated guidance limits legitimate law enforcement tools, presents dangerous conditions for correctional officers, and allows for the escalation of criminal networks both inside and outside prison walls. We’re committed to combatting violent crime wherever it occurs, which is why we continue to call on the federal government to remove this substantial barrier to public safety.”
In Georgia alone, 8,074 contraband cell phones were confiscated in 2023, with 5,482 confiscated to date in 2024. Recently, an incarcerated leader of the infamous street gang, “Yves Saint Laurent Squad,” used a contraband cell phone to order a hit which resulted in the death of an 88-year-old Georgia veteran. A gang leader in North Carolina was able to order the kidnapping of a prosecutor’s father via a cell phone in prison. In California, prison gangs used contraband cell phones to order murders within the prison system and traffic drugs.
“There are hundreds of examples from across the country of how a contraband cell phone in the hands of an inmate can be used as a deadly weapon and gives them the ability to continue their criminal enterprise. We are incensed by the length these individuals go to in continuing those activities and endangering the public,” said Georgia Department of Corrections Commissioner Tyrone Oliver. “As attempts to infiltrate our facilities with contraband cell phones evolve, access to jamming technology is paramount in our efforts to combat those attempts. We appreciate the support of Attorney General Carr in our ongoing commitment to public safety and the safe operations of our facilities.”
Carr mentions in his letter that the FCC's policy is derived from legislation enacted in the early 1990s, long before prison inmates began to use contraband cell phones to plan and conduct illegal and dangerous activities.
Carr asserts that the language found in 47 U.S.C § 333 does not prohibit the FCC from changing its position to allow state agencies to use cell phone jamming devices in prisons. In fact, the United States Bureau of Prisons has recognized the potential benefits of such devices and is authorized to use them in various federal penitentiaries, including at least one situated in Georgia.
While executing a search, officers from the Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office came across a sophisticated signal jammers, marking the first discovery of this type of device by the sheriff's office.
Sheriff Robinson indicated that this device can effectively disable Wi-Fi cameras, doorbells, and security systems that operate on radio sensors. It has the ability to shut down all related technologies. The singular purpose for which one would acquire a device of this kind is to engage in wrongful conduct for malicious ends.
Authorities have clarified that there is no legal restriction on owning a signal gps jammer, but its usage is regarded as a federal crime.
Sheriff Robinson conveyed that the next step is to engage in dialogue with lawmakers. He stated, "It is indeed strange that Indiana lacks a specific statute regarding communication jamming. I believe this issue should be addressed, and I will work with state legislators to remedy this loophole."
The sheriff's office has communicated that the events are tied to a suspected daytime burglary occurring in the area surrounding the village of Cambridge.
Investigators are of the opinion that two individuals attacked a home employing high-tech devices.
On Sunday, it was reported by the police that a couple returned to their home and encountered two men they did not recognize inside.
Authorities indicated that the individuals involved fled the scene driving a gray Jeep.
The Village of Cambridge's acquisition of a FLOCK camera through the Sheriff's Office allowed deputies to be strategically positioned, leading to the successful arrests.
The Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office deputies conducted a stop of Jaime Riveras, a citizen of Chile, on Highway 41 after being alerted to a potential crime.
Sheriff Robinson remarked that Riveras alleged he was making his way from St. Louis to Florida and did not stop in Evansville.
Sheriff Noah Robinson indicated that, in addition to the statements from witnesses, a search warrant was issued for all items found in the vehicle. This led to the discovery of two cell phones within the vehicle, which contained GPS data that confirmed the suspect vehicle's location at Riveras' residence, situated within the burglarized area.
Riveras is under investigation for several charges, including the alleged employment of a signal jammer to interfere with the reporting of crimes.
The VCSO continues to classify this as an active investigation and is focused on identifying Rivera's associates.
Is there a device or method to call 911 even if cell phone jammers are being used in the area?
In the past, my abuser would use a cell phone jammer when he broke into my house, preventing me from calling the police right away. I tried to call 911, but the call never went through.
I eventually reported him to the police. I'm worried he'll show up again. How do I make sure I can call 911 no matter what? Will a wearable panic button still work with a cell phone jammer? What about a satellite communicator for hiking/backpacking?
Realistically, the FCC will only start investigating once the problem is frequently reported because they don't have staff around the country to do this kind of signals intelligence. If the OP lived in or near a major city, they would have more success because the FCC offices in major cities do have equipment to locate pirate signals and jammers, but again, I don't think they would respond to any single incident because they would never be able to get there in time to get the information.
There's a guy in my area who puts a jammer in his car every day when he drives on a busy interstate during rush hour because he thinks it will stop people from using their phones and make his driving safer. All the cell phone carriers reported it, but it took the FCC 3 years to actually investigate and catch him.
In areas with cell phone signal jammers, it can be very difficult to call 911 because the main function of a signal jammer is to block the network signal of the mobile phone.
However, there are several strategies and techniques that may help when calling 911 in an emergency: