MARANG: A 33-year-old factory worker was arrested last night after authorities found him in possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).
His arrest was part of a large-scale joint operation codenamed "Op Pedo Bersepadu PDRM-MCMC," involving Bukit Aman's Sexual, Women, and Child Investigation Division (D11) and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
The operation, launched simultaneously in six states yesterday, resulted in the arrest of 13 people for the possession and distribution of CSAM.
Earlier, police went to the man's house in Kampung Batangan following a police report lodged against him.
The suspect, a married man, cooperated with authorities and handed over his mobile phone.
Checks found pornographic material, including content involving minors on the phone.
The suspect, who has no prior criminal record, admitted to downloading the CSAM via WhatsApp and Telegram.
Police also seized two mobile phones. 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.
The crackdown followed surveillance and undercover work by the police, supported by intelligence provided by MCMC.
The raiding parties also comprised Bukit Aman's Forensic Laboratory Division (D10), Technical Assistance Division (D6) and Criminal Investigation Department.
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.
The NST's investigation also showed how CSAM content was being sold for as cheap as RM1 per video, 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.