Pedophile network potentially connected to international parties, suggests Bukit Aman authorities
In a shocking development, the Malaysian police have uncovered a child sexual abuse syndicate as part of Operation Pedo, a month-long operation conducted by the Malaysian internet crime against children unit. The syndicate, with international networks, has been found to have uploaded numerous videos and images of child sexual abuse on certain Dark Web sites.
The alleged mastermind behind this heinous operation, a 29-year-old man, was arrested on July 19. He is accused of sexually abusing the victims and then selling the videos to selected local and foreign buyers.
The police received information from foreign authorities regarding this syndicate selling pornographic content. The main suspect's modus operandi was to obtain a "supply" of babies using Facebook, where he looked for posts offering babies for adoption. So far, three victims, girls aged 5 to 7, have been identified and discovered from his neighbourhood.
Five investigation papers have been opened and referred to the Attorney-General's Chambers on Aug 21. The three children and two babies rescued are now under the care of the welfare department.
The operation was carried out in collaboration with international agencies. It is believed that the suspect targeted children unsupervised by their parents or guardians in his neighbourhood. The suspect provided cash and settled hospital bills for the mothers of his victims.
In a disturbing turn, the suspect is also believed to have secured custody of his victims by legally adopting them. A seized birth certificate lists the suspect as the father of one of the babies. No new arrests have been made apart from the 11 people, including the alleged mastermind, detained between July 19 and Aug 19.
Police are facing difficulties in tracing the owners and individuals with access to the Dark Web. The operation was discussed in a meeting involving the communications ministry, police, and TikTok at Bukit Aman today. The suspect is being investigated under various provisions under the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017.
The search results do not provide information about the parents of the three girls from the neighbourhood of the main suspect who were identified and discovered by the authorities. The syndicate's activities are ongoing investigations. The authorities urge anyone with information to come forward to assist in the investigation.
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