Police Warn Of Threat Of ‘ Missed Call’ Explosions

[george]

Police warn of threat of ‘missed call’ explosions

BANGKOK: -- The Southern Border Provinces Peace-building Command (SBPPC) warned residents in the restive South yesterday not to return missed calls from unknown callers because their cell phones could be manipulated to act as triggers for explosives.

As the authorities had tightened control over mo-bile-phone use by requiring the registration of all prepaid SIM cards since the middle of this month, militants are loathe to use their own phones for triggering bombs because they could be traced, SBPPC spokesman Colonel Somkhuan Saengprathranet said.

A new tactic militants may adopt is to call a number at random and hang up, thereby leaving a missed call message on someone’s phone. A returned call sets off the bomb, he explained.

“So please don’t rush to return calls immediately after a missed call. If the person who has called you really wants to talk to you, they will call back,” Somkhuan said.

Mobile phones can be used to set off explosions because they generate electricity, which can be channelled to activate a trigger device.

But he did not say if officials believe such a ruse had been employed before to detonate explosives.

Locals said they had not known that by returning a missed call they could inadvertently set off a bomb, yet stressed that they would follow the authorities’ advice.

“I am scared of bombs, so from now on I won’t re-turn any missed calls from numbers I don’t know,” said Thiramon Natraj, a Yala resident.

Mobile phones have been used frequently in the past two years to trigger explosions in the deep South.

Phone operators suspended services to unregistered prepaid cell phones in the region on November 15.

--The Nation 2005-11-28

[Jai Dee]

SBPPC SPOKESMAN SAID THAT INSURGENTS HAVE RESORTED TO MISSED-CALLS AS A WAY TO STAGE BOMB ATTACKS

Spokesperson for the Southern Border Provinces Peace-building Command (SBPPC) Colonel Somkuan Sangpattaranait (สมควร แสงภัทรเนตร) announced that insurgents have resorted to using missed-calls as a way to stage bomb attacks. Colonel Somkuan said that as the government has a policy to have pre-paid mobile phone users register their SIM-cards to prevent bomb attacks in the southern provinces, the insurgents have adjusted their plans by using other materials as detonators of the bombs. He said that the latest information shows that insurgents randomly dial mobile phone numbers in their preparation for the bomb attacks, leaving numbers for people to call back and detonate bombs.

He warns the people to be careful if unfamiliar numbers appear on their mobile phone screens, adding that they should not call back within 5-10 minutes, as they can fall prey to the insurgents. He added that if the callers really have to speak with the mobile phone users, they will attempt to call them again.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 28 November 2005

[Jai Dee]

PM BELIEVES THAT OFFICIALS WILL FIND WAYS TO RESPOND TO THE LATEST TACTIC USED BY SOUTHERN INSURGENTS

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra expressed his confidence that officials will be able to handle southern insurgents who leave missed calls as a way to detonate bombs.

The Prime Minister commented on the insurgents' latest tactic, saying that it is normal for them to find other means in staging attacks in the region, in order to avoid officials' responses. He said that the insurgents are now leaving missed calls on the people's mobile phones, and they would wait for them to call back. The mobile phone will trigger the explosion once the call has been made.

However, he expressed his belief that security officials will be able to find ways to respond to such tactic, adding that there has been much progress in addressing the southern problems.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 28 November 2005

[Jai Dee]

INTERIOR MINISTER SAYS IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE INSURGENTS TO USE MISSED CALLS AS A WAY TO DETONATE BOMBS

Interior Minister KONGSAK WANTHANA believes that the insurgents’ new approach to detonate an explosion via the “miss call” method is unlikely, as it is too risky for the insurgents.

Following the meeting with the deputy provincial governors at the Royal City Hotel regarding the Southern Border Provinces Peace-building Command's (SBPPC) warning on the mobile phone's bomb detonator, the Interior Minister said it is almost impossible for the insurgents to do so. He said it is considered risky for them since they have to switch sim-cards to prevent the immediate bomb attacks. He stated that the warning issue by the SBPPC was due to the report it received earlier. He has expressed his confidence that the local residents would not be concerned over the matter.

ACM KONGSAK also talked about the smuggling of Cambodian Muslims, saying that the preliminary investigation showed that they obtained the Malaysian Visa. However, he admitted that the numbers of migration have increased, and he has ordered the officers to step up the surveillance in the border area, as they might have connection with the insurgents in the three southern border provinces of Thailand.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 28 November 2005

[tom yum goong]

way too risky.

what happens when the other person calls back straightaway and u r still in range? kaboom.

if they were suicide bombers they wouldn't be bothering to use a phone.

surely its much simpler to call from a payphone anyway.

[britmaveric]

Hmm and your mobile is registered, so who gets the blame???

[bino]

way too risky. 

what happens when the other person calls back straightaway and u r still in range? kaboom.

if they were suicide bombers they wouldn't be bothering to use a phone.

surely its much simpler to call from a payphone anyway.

This would work if you cloned the SIM card, which is easy enough to do. Make the call from another handset, and then shut it off. The handset connected to the bomb would take the returned call, and KABOOM!

Like you said, it would be simpler to call from a payphone, but there is always a chance that some witness will see you at said payphone. Using a mobile to call someone offers the potential of transferring the "blame" to an opposing party / enemy.

[lingling]

1) Why would they call another phone in the south - any phone in the world could be used for the return call/trigger call...(or is the southern thai phone network somehow mysteriously isolated from the rest of the world?)

2) Why would they only use sim cards bought in southern thailand? A sim card from just about anywhere in the world will work in TH so I don't understand the logic in this "registration" thing or how that would make it more difficult for them to build mobile phone triggered bombs...?

[chownah]

How hard can it be for a bomber to get ahold of a phone that is not registered in their name?....or to register one using fake ID....here in the fake ID hub of Asia?...and actually it is not that difficult to use a wrist watch as a timer for a detonator and this is cheaper and safer than using a phone as they do never get called by wrong numbers. This entire phone thing may have some merit but in the end it cannot pretend to actually solve any problem.

[lingling]

There seems to be a lot of focus on how the bombs are triggered, but what I haven't seen a word about in the news are: what type of explosives are they using (home made, commercial, military) and if commerial or military, what are the origin of them? Commercial and military explosives can be traced down to the batch thanks to chemical trace elements added during manufacturing. Would be very interesting to know the source...

[Jai Dee]

NARATHIWAT PROVINCE TO BAN CELL PHONES MANUFACTURED IN MALAYSIA

Narathiwat (นราธิวาส) provionce has made an announcement to all the stores in the province to stop selling cell phones manufactured in Malaysia after finding out that the insurgents detonated bombs by the phones and sim cards produced in the neighbor country.

Narathiwat province Governor Pracha Terat (ประชา เตรัตน์) referred to the bomb attack which took place on the 20th November at Su-ngai Kolok(สุไหงโก-ลก) district and left many people wounded that the investigation indicated that the insurgent have detonated bombs by the cell phone and sim card which were produced in Malaysia, therefore, the province has asked all the stores to stop selling the sim cards manufactured in Malaysia.

Those who violates the law will be prosecuted, says Mr. Pracha.

Regarding the case of Cambodian Muslim men who have travelled to the three southern border provinces of Thailand giving the reason to study religion, the province governor said that all the Muslim schools have been asked to cooperate with the authorities by not accepting students from Cambodia and that a meeting will be held again with the director of those schools to find solutions.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 29 November 2005

[astral]

..........not to return missed calls from unknown callers because their cell phones could be manipulated to act as triggers for explosives.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

How did they dream up that one?

Surely the number to call back comes from the system, not the phone.

[Jai Dee]

DETONATING A BOMB BY USING MISSED CALL, HAS NOT OCCURRED YET

Minister of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Sora-at Klinpratoom (สรอรรถ กลิ่นประทุม) said that explosions set off by missed calls have not occurred yet. He also said that the National Telecommunication Commission of Thailand (NTC) will be in talks with Malaysia, finding measures to control phone signals sent to Thailand.

The ICT Minister said that if anyone receives a missed call, he should call up the operator to find out who the caller is; and if anyone loses his mobile phone, he should inform the service provider immediately.

Minister of Interior KONGSAK WANTHANA (คงศักดิ์ วันทนา) said that he will discuss with Ministry of ICT to implement measures in controlling siganls crossing over the two countries. He said roaming services might be blocked unless users register their phones.

Source: thaisnews.com วันพุธที่ 30 พฤศจิกายน 2548

[snoophound]

Oh Yeah right

Try and tell my missus to ignore a missed call.

Its against her religion.

DETONATING A BOMB BY USING MISSED CALL, HAS NOT OCCURRED YET

Minister of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Sora-at Klinpratoom (สรอรรถ กลิ่นประทุม) said that explosions set off by missed calls have not occurred yet. He also said that the National Telecommunication Commission of Thailand (NTC) will be in talks with Malaysia, finding measures to control phone signals sent to Thailand.

The ICT Minister said that if anyone receives a missed call, he should call up the operator to find out who the caller is; and if anyone loses his mobile phone, he should inform the service provider immediately.

Minister of Interior KONGSAK WANTHANA (คงศักดิ์ วันทนา) said that he will discuss with Ministry of ICT to implement measures in controlling siganls crossing over the two countries. He said roaming services might be blocked unless users register their phones. 

Source: thaisnews.com วันพุธที่ 30 พฤศจิกายน 2548

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[dvk1951]

What an effort in futility, trying to prevent this element of society from detonating is like trying to teach a fish not to swim. Knock on, knock on, ad naseum.