[aesh2Xa1]

The details are skimpy. In a CNN article we can see photos and mention that these were housed in apartment units and perhaps other rentals.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/23/us/swatting-investigation-ser...

EDIT:

While the headline on NYT highlights an attack on the towers for disruption, the CNN piece gives more weight to two other uses: (1) criminal communication network and (2) swatting.

I think those two make sense. The SIMs would probably hold US numbers and would appear authentic for accessing the US operators' networks.

[jacquesm]

(2) is the thing that brought attention of LE on these, and likely was a very dumb move by one of the users of this system. If just (1) they could have kept it going for much longer, (2) is what brought it down.

[immibis]

(2) shouldn't have brought it down because it's not illegal to be a pipeline for someone else's swatting, though you have to help LE identify who did the swatting to the extent you can (including if that's not at all).

[jacquesm]

A reminder not to take legal advice from HN.