5 children, including 2 babies, rescued from online Malaysia paedophile ring
Malaysian police said victims were sexually abused and “used to produce videos and photos that were uploaded to the dark web and a Telegram group with subscribers from around the world”.
Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director M Kumar said child victims were rescued from a dark web pedophile syndicate. (Photo: Facebook/Johor Police)
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JOHOR BAHRU: Malaysian police have rescued five children, including two babies, and seized hundreds of child sexual abuse videos and images linked to a paedophile syndicate.
During a press briefing at Johor police headquarters on Friday (Aug 29), M Kumar, director of the Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department, said victims were sexually abused and “used to produce videos and photos that were uploaded to the dark web and a Telegram group with subscribers from around the world”.
The children, aged between two months and five years, were believed to have been sold to the syndicate through social media, Kumar said.
The alleged mastermind, a 29-year-old local technician, was arrested, he added. Police discovered dozens of child sexual abuse videos and photos on his phone.
“The syndicate’s modus operandi was to offer pregnant mothers between RM1,500 (US$355) and RM3,500, to give their children up for adoption,” Kumar said, adding that the suspect had intended to obtain a steady supply of babies using Facebook, where he would often look for posts offering babies for adoption.
“The suspect would deal with the birth mothers by providing RM1,500 to RM3,500 in cash, including settling the maternity bill at the hospital.”
A month-long joint operation by Bukit Aman’s Malaysian Internet Crime Against Children Investigation Unit with Johor police and international agencies took place from Jul 19 to Aug 19, spanning the states of Johor and Selangor as well as Penang.
“Based on investigations, police initiated a series of raids that culminated in several arrests and seizures of paedophile material,” Kumar said.
Ten others, including two local women, two Indonesian men, four Indonesian women, a woman from the Philippines as well as a man from Myanmar, were also arrested.
“Some of the foreign suspects are believed to have acted as caretakers of the children,” Kumar said.
