Pirate operators caught on a commercial frequency

[cartman]

Found this November 1 article while looking for something else

http://www.radiocomms.com.au/articles/4 ... terference


ACMA tracks down interference
.
A recent ACMA investigation has identified two people who were unlawfully using a commercial radiofrequency for their own personal communications channel.

The investigation was initiated when a licensed operator, whose clients had reported extensive interference on their licensed frequency, complained to the ACMA.

This interference was caused by encrypted communications, which prevented the legitimate operators and their on-road staff from communicating with each other.

The severity of the interference required the licensee to transfer its clients from the compromised frequency until the problem was resolved.

Investigative work by the ACMA’s Field Operations and Interference Management & Monitoring sections, who also received information from the public, tracked the origin of the interference to two Melbourne suburbs.

Field staff used direction-finding and other techniques to pinpoint the exact addresses from where the offenders were transmitting.

Staff were also able to identify the encryption key, which helped in gathering valuable evidence to support compliance action against the two individuals.

The severe nature of the interference and the high risk to the safety of end users meant that, for both the identified locations, the ACMA applied to the Melbourne Magistrates Court for search warrants under section 269 of the Radiocommunications Act 1992.

ACMA staff executed peaceful entry search warrants on both premises and seized a total of seven radiocommunications devices.

The radios had been programmed to operate on the frequency that was the subject of the interference.

The radios were also programmed to transmit frequencies for the Victoria Police country network, the Victoria State Emergency Service, the St John Ambulance and the Department of Sustainability and Environment.

Programming transmit frequencies for organisations (such as the police) in unauthorised radios can cause serious interference to emergency communications, through either deliberate action or by accident (for example, jamming the transmit button permanently in the operated state).

The investigations and search warrants resulted in the resolution of the interference. As a penalty, radios used in contravention of the Act worth more than $5000 were surrendered to the ACMA.

One offender, who held an amateur foundation licence, had his licence suspended for three months. The other offender was unlicensed.

The ACMA regulates the use of the radiofrequency spectrum in Australia, including ensuring that users issued with a licence are able to use their licensed frequency free of interference.

The ACMA has a range of powers available to it under the Radiocommunications Act to investigate complaints of interference. It considers the severity of the interference and the risk to licensed users of the radiofrequency spectrum before deciding on the most appropriate response to each complaint of interference.

ACMA

http://www.acma.gov.au

[citabria]

Staff were also able to identify the encryption key,

I doubt that very much. Assuming its P25, The ACMA more than likely they had the Key ID and Algo ID, not the key itself.

[SKEYGEN]

Probably voice inversion

[Garry]

good to see ACMA blowing its own trumpet,, maybe in another ten years we might hear of another one of their "busts"

[ivahri]

Well bl@#dy good on ACMA... I'm sick of ACMA bashing on forums- when this matter came up many months ago many Melbourne hams complained of "victimisation" and ACMA "not having enough to do". Of course a number said "it wouldn't be a ham causing interference...". Well it was- and they were operating illegally and interfering with an important emergency service. I personally think the ham involved got off very lightly & should have been given some time behind bars... It isn't a question of them "blowing its own trumpet" but instead getting the message out there that people do get caught to hopefully discourage the smart ar@es that think they are too clever to ever get caught...

Well done ACMA...

Cheers,

Richard

[Garry]

whats Im saying is,, idiots have been using other peoples registrations for years, it was happening when I had a registration, how many times do you see acma sending out a release like this,,, hardly ever.

[Garry]

come to think of it, I think I still have the letter that the newcastle office sent me years ago to my bussiness saying that once I identify the location of the person tx'ing on my frequency they will look into the matter,,, LOL,,, ACMA are a joke

[ivahri]

Read what I wrote Garry... prior to the arrests there had been widespread mouthing off both on an internet forum (vklogger) and to the WIA about ACMA audits being undertaken in Melbourne. Those audits uncovered a large number of illegally programmed radios & also located the persons concerned. There was much carrying on about the ACMA overstepping their mark and acting beyond their authority... The high profile of this matter is the reason ACMA issued this release (some months ago now). If you know of idiots doing this report it to ACMA... I know I do.

Cheers,

Richard

[ivahri]

I'd love to see that letter Garry as I think you are very loosely paraphrasing it. What they do ask you to do is to do basic inverstigations to (1) eliminate your own equipment as a potential cause, and (2) where the interference is being received. They do that because it helps for them to know where to start looking... They are badly understaffed, Newcastle in particular since they closed the office, but given they were with me at Mount Sugarloaf only 2 weeks back they do act if you complain (even in Newcastle).

Cheers,

Richard

[Garry]

my issue was back in 1993-94, they were even understaffed back then