MANILA, April 29 -- Operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested Tuesday a Chinese national in possession of electronic eavesdropping equipment near the Commission on Elections (Comelec) building in Intramuros, Manila.

NBI spokesperson Ferdinand Lavin said the foreigner is identified as Tak Hoi Lao on his Macao passport.

Seized from the suspect was a gray Mitsubishi Adventure with an electronic equipment laid out behind the back seat cooled by a make shift fan to prevent overheating.

The equipment has been identified as an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) catcher, capable of intercepting mobile phone communications and tracking location data from other gadgets.

In an interview with the Philippine Ne...