KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 22 — Fifty-three people, including eight minors, were arrested for their suspected involvement in activities linked to child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in the recent nationwide Op Pedo 3.0.
Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director Datuk Kumar Muthuvelu said the suspects were detained in operations conducted from September 14 to 16 following intelligence gathered by the CID’s D11 unit and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
Police also detected activities involving the production, distribution and sale of CSAM-related videos and animations through closed online groups, with the material being offered for between RM50 and RM60.
“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.
“Payments could 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 told a media conference on Op Pedo 3.0 here today.
Ninety-two targets were screened in the operation, involving 406 police personnel and 43 MCMC officers across 14 states, with 52 raids resulting in the arrest of 53 people aged between 13 and 56.
The detainees comprised 51 men and two women — 52 Malaysians and one Bangladeshi — as well as two public servants in the education sector: a teacher and a laboratory assistant from separate institutions.
Police also seized 95 items, including laptops, mobile phones, storage devices and sex toys, while uncovering 653,193 digital files comprising 540,127 CSAM files and 113,066 adult pornography files.
Kumar said 52 investigation papers had 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 September 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 said.
He said 170 people have been arrested under Op Pedo 1.0 in 2024 and Op Cyber Guardian in 2025, with 369 items seized and 2,123,887 CSAM and adult pornography digital files uncovered.
Kumar urged parents to monitor their children’s online activities, stressing that law enforcement efforts must be supported by awareness and continuous monitoring at home.
