Cops nab 4, seize over 50k in child sex abuse material

Four individuals, including a civil servant, were arrested, and over 50,000 pieces of child sexual abuse material were seized during Operation Cyber Guardian.

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said the operation took place between Feb 24 and March 28 across various locations in Selangor and Penang.

He said the operation was conducted with authorities from several countries, including Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Thailand, and Singapore.

“In Malaysia, the operation occurred in Kajang, Ampang Jaya, Petaling Jaya, and Shah Alam in Selangor, where four arrests were made, including one involving a civil servant. In Penang, the operation was carried out in the Timur Laut district,” he said in a press conference at the Federal Police Headquarters in Bukit Aman today.

The operation involved 46 police personnel, with assistance from the MCMC and technical support from the police K9 Detection Unit to trace electronic devices.

Ayob said the suspects, aged between 26 and 49, also included an accountant, a web designer, and a protégé at a telecommunications company.

He said preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects used electronic devices to access and obtain child sexual abuse material online through peer-to-peer (P2P) sharing before distributing the material via Telegram groups and storing it for personal use.

He added that most child sexual abuse content is downloaded and stored on electronic devices, including hard drives, mobile phones, desktop computers, laptops, and tablets.

“The case is being investigated under the Child Act 2001, the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, the Penal Code, and other relevant laws in force,” he said.

He said that four investigation papers were opened under Section 10 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 for accessing child sexual abuse material and Section 293 of the Penal Code for possessing obscene materials.

He added that one of the suspects was recently charged in Petaling Jaya under Section 292 of the Penal Code and fined RM3,000 after pleading guilty. He will also face charges under Section 10 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act.

“In Shah Alam, another suspect was fined RM6,000 after pleading guilty under the same section, while two other investigation papers are pending forensic reports,” he said, adding that the joint operation across six countries led to the arrest of 435 individuals involved in the distribution of child sexual abuse material.

- Bernama

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