On 29 August, in Johor Bahru, Malaysian police announced the arrest of a 29-year-old technician believed to be the mastermind of a pedophile ring.
Reports state that the ring sexually abused babies and young children, producing videos sold on Telegram and the dark web.
Arrest Under Month-Long Operation
The suspect was arrested on 19 July under Ops Pedo, a nationwide operation carried out between 19 July and 19 August. The joint crackdown involved the Bukit Aman Sexual, Women and Children Criminal Investigation Department (D11), the Malaysian Internet Crime Against Children Investigation Unit (Micac), Johor police, and international agencies.
Bukit Aman CID director Datuk M. Kumar said the breakthrough came with the discovery of child sexual abuse videos and images on the suspect’s mobile phone. Raids later extended to Selangor and Penang, leading to more arrests.
Modus Operandi: Exploiting Adoption Loopholes
Investigations revealed the suspect obtained babies from mothers who posted online seeking adoption arrangements. He allegedly paid between RM1,500 and RM3,500 (S$435–S$1,015) per child, covering maternity costs and assisting the mothers in securing valid birth certificates at the National Registration Department.
With legal documents listing him as the father or guardian, the suspect gained custody of the infants. Police said he then recorded himself sexually abusing two infant boys and three young girls, aged between two months and five years, before distributing the videos online.
Children Rescued and Placed in Care
During the operation, police rescued five children, three girls and two boys, who are now under the care of the Social Welfare Department.
Officers also uncovered cases where the suspect targeted unsupervised children in his neighbourhood, sexually abusing three girls aged between five and seven.
Wider Network and Seized Evidence
Authorities detained ten other individuals linked to the syndicate, including two local women, four Indonesian women, two Indonesian men, a Myanmar man and a Suluk woman, aged between 25 and 60. Some suspects acted as caregivers to the children while others assisted in facilitating the illegal adoptions.
Police also seized documents including birth certificates, maternity record books, identification cards and unfilled National Registration Department forms, along with laptops, mobile phones and hard drives containing abusive material.
Charges and Ongoing Investigations
The main suspect is under investigation for multiple offences under the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, including producing, promoting and distributing child sexual abuse material. Five investigation papers have been submitted to the Attorney-General’s Chambers for further action.
Datuk M. Kumar stressed that the operation marked a significant breakthrough against online child exploitation networks, adding that investigations remain ongoing to identify other victims and collaborators.
Find @/pdrmsia_official’s Instagram post here:
Video report of incident via JSJ PDRM Facebook:
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