Eight Minors Among 53 Arrested in Nationwide Child Sexual Abuse Material Crackdown

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 22 – Police have arrested 53 individuals, including eight minors as young as 13, in a nationwide joint operation targeting activities related to child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

The operation, code-named Op Pedo Integrated 3.0, was executed simultaneously across 14 states from Sept 14 to 16 following intelligence gathered by the Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) D11 unit alongside the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

Bukit Aman CID director Datuk M. Kumar revealed that authorities uncovered active networks involved in producing, distributing, and selling CSAM-related videos and animations through closed digital groups, charging between RM50 and RM60 per access link.

“The value may not be substantial, but what is more worrying is the trend and direction of these activities. This is what needs to be given serious attention,” Kumar said during a press conference today.

He added that payments were made using modern digital payment gateways, reflecting a concerning trend in digital literacy among youth.

“Payments can also be made through various methods such as e-wallets, PayPal and Touch ‘n Go. The fact is that children and young people today are much more adept at using social media and various digital platforms,” he noted.

The operation involved 406 police personnel and 43 MCMC officers screening 92 targets across 52 separate raids. Those detained ranged from 13 to 56 years old, comprising 51 men and two women. Among them were 52 Malaysian citizens and one Bangladeshi national.

The arrests also implicated two civil servants in the education sector—a teacher and a laboratory assistant working at separate educational institutions.

Enforcement officers seized 95 devices and items, including laptops, mobile phones, digital storage media, and sex toys. Forensic checks uncovered 653,193 digital files, consisting of 540,127 CSAM files and 113,066 adult pornography files.

Kumar confirmed that 52 investigation papers have been opened under the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, Penal Code, Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, Immigration Act 1959/63, and Film Censorship Act 2002.

“As of Sept 21, 23 investigation papers had resulted in charges being filed in court, with 11 resulting in convictions, while the remaining 29 were still under further investigation,” he stated.

Since the launch of Op Pedo 1.0 in 2024 and Op Cyber Guardian in 2025, police have arrested 170 individuals, seized 369 devices, and uncovered over 2.1 million files containing CSAM and adult pornography.

Kumar urged parents to actively supervise their children’s online activities, emphasizing that law enforcement efforts must be paired with vigilance and digital safety awareness within the home.

–NMT