JOHOR BARU: A 33-year-old man was arrested after authorities found him in possession of over 2 terabytes (TB) of pornographic content, including Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), last night.
The bachelor, a tour operator in Singapore, was nabbed after returning home from work to his upscale condominium in Bukit Senyum here.
His arrest was part of a massive joint operation, codenamed "Op Pedo Bersepadu PDRM-MCMC" involving Bukit Aman's Sexual, Women and Child Investigation Division (D11) and the Malaysia Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
The op, launched simultaneously in 6 states yesterday, saw 13 people arrested for possession and distribution of CSAM.
The authorities moved in after receiving word from the Immigration Department that the suspect had crossed the Causeway.
The suspect was at home with his mother as well as his sister's two children - a boy and an infant - when police arrived.
Checks on his computer and cell phone turned up over 2,000 pornographic photos and videos, including CSAM.
The suspect, who did not have a criminal record, cooperated with the authorities. He admitted to downloading the explicit material and that he had been doing so since 2019.
After around two hours, the raiding party left the unit with the suspect in tow. Also seized were his computer and cell phone.
As the suspect was being led out, his mother told the authorities that her son was "good and obedient."
Bukit Aman's Forensic Laboratory Division (D10), Technical Assistance Division (D6) and Criminal Investigation Department (CID) assisted in the operation.
The case is being investigated under Section 10 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act for accessing child pornography and Section 292 of the Penal Code for possession of obscene materials.
Last week the New Straits Times ran a series of reports on the rampant sale of Malaysian-made explicit content, including CSAM, on social media and messaging platforms.
, raising concerns among parents over the safety of their children.
Bukit Aman's Sexual, Women and Child Investigations Division (D11) Principal Assistant Director, Senior Assistant Commissioner Siti Kamsiah Hassan had spoken on trends which showed that access to such pornography had made predators even more brazen, with some going to the extent of attempting to abduct children.
She also highlighted how easy access to pornographic content has led to severe addiction resulting in children, some as young as primary school pupils, becoming involved in creating and profiting from CSAM content.
The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had told the NST how cybercriminals trafficking in CSAM were exploiting advanced encryption technology to avoid arrest.
Malaysia, it said, has forged alliances with the FBI and other international entities to leverage real-time coordination of operations to shut down priority and high-impact targets.