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On the contrary, the reason for this kind of arrest is usually a military paranoia over the import of military equipment.

You may not take them seriously as a technological country, but such arrests indicate that the army is worried about the smuggling of military tech and has power to enforce checks.

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If a $20.00 RTL-SDR dongle presents a risk to your military infrastructure — then you are confirming your incompetence.

Now, this can be a valuable tactic; it is good to be underestimated by your opponent. I doubt this is intentional, though.

If they're arresting people for even a $20 component/tool, then it stands to reason that they are more authoritarian and vigilant; not less of a threat or incompetent!

You can be both vigilant and incompetent. For example, when you're being extremely vigilant over civilians noticing a glaring weak point instead of fixing it.

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