In a major crackdown on child sexual abuse material (CSAM), police and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) arrested 13 suspects and seized over 40,000 pieces of abusive content in coordinated raids across six states last night. The operation, "Op Pedo Bersepadu PDRM-MCMC," targeted individuals aged 20 to 74 in homes across Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Johor, Terengganu, Penang, and Perak.

Led by Bukit Aman’s Sexual, Women, and Child Investigations Division, the raids uncovered disturbing findings, including thousands of explicit files and over 500GB of suspected CSAM. Some suspects, who operated under false identities, admitted to buying explicit content on platforms like X and Telegram. Several downplayed the severity of their actions.

The operation, which involved extensive surveillance and digital forensics, was sparked by an exposé on the sale of Malaysian-made CSAM on social media. Investigations are ongoing under the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 and the Penal Code. Authorities are also working with international agencies like the FBI to combat cybercriminals trafficking CSAM.