Secret Service seizes NYC SIM-farm network
The U.S. Secret Service said Tuesday it dismantled a sprawling SIM‑farm telecom network at more than five abandoned apartment sites in the New York tri‑state area, seizing about 300 SIM servers and over 100,000 SIM cards capable of blasting 30 million texts per minute. Officials said the network could have disabled cell towers and blocked EMS and police dispatch during this week’s U.N. General Assembly; no arrests have been made as Homeland Security Investigations leads a continuing criminal probe.
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📰 Sources (1)
Secret Service disrupts telecom network that threatened NYC during U.N. gathering
New information:
- Roughly 300 SIM servers and 100,000+ SIM cards seized within 35 miles of the UN in New York
- Capacity cited as 30 million text messages per minute; could text the entire country in ~12 minutes
- Secret Service says network posed potential to disable cell towers and disrupt emergency communications
- Items recovered included illegal firearms, ~80 grams of cocaine, computers and phones
- Investigation triggered by telephonic threats to senior U.S. officials in the spring; new Advanced Threat Interdiction Unit involved
- No arrests yet; HSI leading criminal investigation; officials say no current credible threat to the UN