Hyesan authorities have been arresting around one person per day amid a recent crackdown on illegal Chinese cell phone users, a source in Yanggang Province told Daily NK on Jan. 18.
Since December, the Yanggang Province branch of the Ministry of State Security has been jamming telecommunications signals in Hyesan, making it impossible for local residents to use their Chinese cell phones.
Daily NK reported in late December that Yanggang residents who depend on money transfers for their livelihoods were baffled when the Yanggang Province branch of the MSS began jamming telecommunications in mid-December.
Starting on Jan. 10, however, a rumor began circulating in Hyesan that there was good reception for Chinese cellphones in certain parts of the city’s outskirts. Chinese cell phone users such as money transfer brokers who heard the rumor began visiting these areas to make international calls.
“The ministry’s radio wave detection bureau has just been broadcasting jamming signals in particular areas, so there are other places where phones still get reception,” the source said. “Under these conditions, money transfer brokers who need to contact the outside world are flocking to places where they can receive phone signals.”
However, the Hyesan branch of the MSS is taking advantage of this situation by ferreting out Chinese cell phone users in places they are gathering.
“Plainclothes state security agents have been working with neighborhood watch units to conduct stakeouts on the street and in various places to crack down on Chinese cell phone users,” the source said. “The neighborhood watch units stake out neighborhoods and tell state security agents when non-residents enter the area and which houses they go into. Biding their time, state security agents then storm into the houses.”
Unaware of the MSS stakeouts, people who go to the houses of family members and acquaintances to make international calls are like rats in a trap when the agents suddenly rush in.
“Recently, the amount of money that defectors send back to their families [in North Korea] has gone down, so money transfer brokers are not making much money,” the source said. “Unable to contact the outside world due to poor phone reception, the brokers are impatient they will miss out on business opportunities. That’s why they are so careless with regard to the MSS stakeouts.”
On Jan. 14, a broker brought the family of a defector to the home of an acquaintance who lives in an area with cell phone reception. After coming to the house, the entire group was caught by state security agents who had been on stakeout nearby.
Within five minutes of their arrival, agents had followed the group inside, questioned them about where they came from and why they were there, and even conducted body searches. In the end, all the money the group had was confiscated and they were taken to the MSS headquarters.
“The Hyesan branch of the MSS has been using this technique to crack down on users of Chinese cellphones. Family members of defectors, phone brokers, and money transfer brokers have been getting arrested and taken to the MSS at a rate of around one person every day. On the other hand, agents are making money and obtaining good results leading up to the Lunar New Year, so they are implementing the crackdown with enthusiasm,” the source said.
Translated by Nick Seltzer. Edited by Robert Lauler.
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