“Alberto, please tell us this story with telephones, with telephone so-called gateways.

How did it start?

2019 as far as I understand.


— In fact, it all started a little later, in the second half of 2020.

After the pandemic and all these events related to covid, I almost completely lost my job.

I have worked in the tourism industry for a long time.

Reception of foreign citizens in Russia.

I was in dire need of money.

Foreign acquaintances suggested that they simply keep some phones with them.

At first it was just... What models, what brands.

Just buy them and wait for further instructions.

At first, it was all created as a kind of ... I would not say a game, but they did not take it very seriously.

No one spoke about conspiracy or anything like that.

It all started during conversations among themselves that it was necessary to check some phones.

When I asked what it was for, they argued that it was to help support free speech.

Some journalistic organizations, for freedom of speech, to help young journalists.

And so it all turned around.

At first, there were just requests to put money into the account, to buy SIM cards.

They specify some data directly in the phone settings.

Then everything slowly grew - it was necessary to receive some text messages.

SMS messages were for registration in social networks, individual instant messengers such as Telegram channels, and so on.

Getting codes to set up, for example, WhatsApp - it seemed harmless at first glance.

Further all with breaks.

Sometimes it was necessary to do this, they asked me to often walk around the city with these phones, keep them turned on with me.

And just drive around the city.

Don't even walk, just ride.

Take the tram somewhere, take a walk.

And keep your phones on.

“And keep the phones on, that’s right.

That's how it was.

Who spoke about supporting independent journalism?

— A chat in the messenger was created.

The messenger was recommended because, as I understand it, it is more difficult to track.

And handed out some pseudonyms.

My friend was renamed Madrid, I was renamed Berlin.

And then another person joins in.

A certain Bill Bryce.

After some time, I realized that he was also Hispanic, that he also spoke Spanish.

Before that, I spoke only in English.

I understood that he was a foreigner.

His role was to coordinate all these moments.

Little by little, these instructions or requests became more frequent.

- Turn on more often or more phones?

First, more phones.

Secondly, change them often, in batches.

Always been in batches of six.

Destroy, change, remove from circulation those phones that have been used for some time.

Make some operations in order to give access to certain operators.

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- Tell me, please, was something known about the operators from this Bryce?

- It was known from the operators that through him, through this certain Bill Bryce, some operators came out at a certain time.

He was a kind of link between me and these operators who went to work at a certain time of the day ... We understood that they were on the other side in terms of the time zone.

That is, in America.

South, North.

Then it turns out that this is North America.

But at first we did not understand where they were.

Considering that they asked to leave at seven in the evening ... It's daytime there, and it's evening for us.

We knew they were out there somewhere.

- One of the operators is a girl, right?

- Yes.

These are some operators, they went out as if they were at work.

And they took into account my affairs, my schedule.

I also worked, I have an ordinary normal life, my own affairs there, family affairs.

It was all taken into account when I could.

Do I have any other business, do I have any business trips.

I often traveled to different places for work.

And they kept mentioning... There's no way she can go out on time.

This was very annoying, because I had a schedule of my own affairs.

And she, this girl... Then they began to call her... At some point, some name flashed.

I think Sally.

But there were no more mentions, from time to time they said: a boy, a girl.

That's how they dealt.

Well, Bill Bryce addressed them that way.

“It’s still a conspiracy.

Can you please tell us what methods were used?

- When it all started spinning, spinning, I received instructions through which you need to point the phone's camera at a certain QR code.

Moreover, they gave this QR code very clearly, and sometimes even to certain numbers.

For certain phones.

Why numbers?

Because every phone was marked, the last four digits.

In order to clearly understand which phone.

And what is the number of the SIM card.

Thus, they knew which phone, through which phone, this or that action would be carried out.

A specific QR code has been created for certain phones.

They sent me this QR code.

I scan this QR code with my phone's camera.

And the program for remote access was automatically installed.

This program needed to give full access to all sections of the phone for full control using very simple actions.

After that, I did not have the physical ability to further control the phone, except to turn it on and off.

It even got to the point that I could not adjust the brightness level of the screen.

They did it all themselves.

The sound, everything was absolutely under someone's control - the so-called operators.

  • © Frame: RT video

Did you see what was happening on the screen at all?

- It was, a fragment of an SMS flashed a couple of times.

We are talking about the last time, the latest actions.

Basically there were settings.

VPN program settings.

The settings of these programs, which for the functioning.

But you can see how it is displayed on the screen like a cursor.

In general, I have never seen the actions themselves.

There was a very clear request that I not be near the phones while they are working.

- What about travel?

“I mean, at first it was very simple.

And then it started spinning, spinning.

You understand that there is a certain premonition, something very bad, something is wrong ...

- Where did they leave it?

Did they say places?

“They asked to find seats in a large crowd of people.

In order to have a very large data transfer stream from various phones.

Operators from a general understanding, as it were ... I can refer to numerous films that show similar situations, so that the type could not find triangulation there or something like that.

- The last case, what we are talking about, was it in a shopping center?

Tell me.

The last one was in the mall.

I leave in the mall for one simple reason.

It was closer to home, it was convenient.

And no one would touch them.

My function was to buy a high capacity off-grid power supply and keep them connected.

They worked for a long time.

Before that, there were long breaks - for months no one touched the phones, nothing had to be done with them.

Sometimes they worked for several hours, minutes, even so.

And the command was given: “Turn off and leave, we did everything today.”

They've been working for a long time lately.

Therefore, it was instructed to hide in this crowded place.

You found a nook there.

— I found a nook there.

And he left it there.

- You mentioned the last cases that you saw text messages mentioning the Russian army.

- There was a moment when, during the replacement of the power source, Madrid asks the question: “You see what is there, what they are doing”?

Well, curious, let's say.

And I saw that there were some excerpts, text messages, swearing.

Approximately in the context: “You are being deceived, your commander is deceiving you, this is all not true, you are going to certain death.”

And the fact that, again, these were not excerpts, not text messages, but notifications about the delivered text message.

At the same time, the program itself did not allow the screen to be fully opened.

When sliding a finger, the screen did not allow the text messages to be fully opened further.

And there were snippets of answers.

People swore obscenities that this is not true, leave me alone.

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In this context, I saw such text messages.

At that moment, I didn’t think at all that this could be somehow connected with a special operation, with the army.

Then, in the course of conversations, Madrid asked me a question, we somehow discussed again, are they really doing something there, they are talking there.

But they did not attach much importance to it.

That's what I regret.

You were talking about money, let's get back to this point.

As I understand it, they sent separately for equipment and other things?

- Yes.

They sent, in principle, what was needed, at market value.

It must be said that they always indicated which phone models.

First you had to buy Samsung A31.

When a new order was made, I searched the Internet, it turned out that the A31 had already sort of gone out of circulation, and now the A32.

They agreed.

There were clear instructions, no components, separate components, I mean the power supply now, not to buy Chinese production.

For some reason, they were afraid that they were doing something on their own in the Chinese components, transmitting something somewhere.

I was surprised.

It's all kind of a fantasy.

For the purchase of all kinds of backpacks, wires, everything that was needed to have comfortable work.

- What was your direct reward?

- Yes.

The remuneration was around $1 thousand monthly.

Some kind of salary.

I received it through bitcoins.

And here I exchanged it myself.

I also received through a bank card, they transferred money to me in rubles.

- I also want to clarify by year.

When did you make contact?

When did you speak to Madrid?

Negotiations began at the end of 2019.

And the actions, the purchase of phones, began a little later, in 2020.

I remember this moment.

Because at that time, we remember, at the beginning of 2020, the pandemic began.

And it was only after that that this whole story began.

At the beginning of 2020, to be more precise, yes.

- What is your attitude to all this now?

“Firstly, if we are speaking from my personal point of view, I am extremely ashamed.

I am ashamed in the first place before this country, before Russia, for one simple reason.

I have been living here for 25 years.

This is more than what I lived in my homeland - in Colombia.

I practically grew up here.

I have a family, children, friends, work.

And because of some easy money there, he ruined his life.

Then, when I realized what was being done, and when I learned from the case file in detail what was sent, to whom it was sent, what it was ... When you watch on TV what is happening in the war zone, being a part of it is very difficult.

In fact, it is both shameful and very bad to be involved in these acts.

Much to our regret.

— There was a moment, as I understand it, when you had the idea to refuse.

What did they answer?

- Yes.

I repeatedly asked Madrid questions about whether this, frankly speaking, is connected with terrorism.

You know, you feel something is wrong.

He assured me that no, by no means, it was only for journalists.

When I stated that I already want to refuse, that I don’t need it, the work has improved, I have a good job, they began, so to speak, to gently threaten that these are very serious people, that you can’t leave this project, that everything will end soon .

Indeed, there was a moment, if my memory serves me right now, in the region, I don’t know, December, November - December, there was a moment when there was talk that everything, everything would end, we would part.

— 2021, right?

Yes, 2021.

I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking: "Well, that's it."

As soon as it began on the eve of the special operation, they stepped up and said: “That's it, now we need to purchase new batches, the first, second, and so on.”

Yes, it was.

I wanted to refuse, but I'm in such a cycle that I can't get out, much to my regret.