The Philippines National Investigation Bureau (NIB) arrested Chinese national Deng Yuanqing (39 yoa) in January 2025 for espionage. Deng was arrested with two Filipino accomplices, Jayson Amado Fernandez and Ronel Jojo Balundo Besa in Makati City, a suburb of Manila, on Luzon island.
The investigation of Deng was initiated based on intelligence provided by the Navy component of the Philippines Armed Forces. Naval intelligence identified Deng as part of a team of Chinese assets tasked with targeting and characterizing Philippine critical infrastructure and military facilities.
The NIB's investigation found that Deng’s car contained LIDAR[1] and geographic mapping equipment used to create 3-D models of buildings with geographical coordinates. Initial forensic examination of that equipment revealed that Deng had surveilled and modeled nine Philippine military bases, some of which were used by US armed forces. In approximately one month, he had driven around Luzon modeling numerous critical infrastructure facilities including police stations and bases, airports, seaports, communications and energy grids (gas fields). The equipment contained an application enabling remote access to the systems via the internet, allowing people to extract data without physically accessing the devices. At the time of his arrest, data had already been transmitted to three individuals in China.
Deng lived in the Philippines since 2013 and received a visa after marrying a local national. He took numerous trips abroad (NFI) over 12 years. Deng established several companies through which he received money transfers. The NIB identified these as front companies to receive funds and him as a sleeper agent for the PRC.[2] Deng claimed to be a labor contractor for a driving technology company working on a road-testing project in the Philippines.
Deng is an alumnus of the PLA's Army Engineering University, formerly known as the People’s Liberation Army University of Science and Technology. He is a specialist in control and automation engineering, where systems are designed to regulate the behavior of devices or systems within constraints, all aiming to control outputs.
Tradecraft
· Used front companies to receive funds.
· Had cover story providing cover for status/action.
· Automated and immediate transfer of data to China.
· Had maps in vehicle identifying collection targets.
· Conducted regular travel to China.
[1] Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) is a remote sensing technique that uses a laser to measure distances and create 3D models of the Earth's surface and facilities.
[2] The Ministry of State Security term for this agent is Chen Diyu – Fish on the bottom of the ocean.
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