Police bust dark web paedophile ring spanning three states, suspected mastermind allegedly exploited adoption process to sell baby abuse videos
JOHOR BAHRU — Police today announced that they have dismantled a dark web-based paedophile network, rescuing five children and seizing hundreds of child sexual abuse images and videos in a month-long nationwide crackdown.
Eleven suspects, including locals and foreigners, were arrested in coordinated raids across Johor, Selangor and Penang under Op Pedo, a joint operation led by Bukit Aman’s Malaysian Internet Crime Against Children Investigation Unit (Micac), the Johor police contingent and international agencies from July 19 to August 19.
Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director Datuk M Kumar said the breakthrough came with the arrest of a 29-year-old male technician in Johor Bahru, believed to be the mastermind.
Investigators found hundreds of abusive videos and images on his mobile phone.
“Based on investigations, police initiated a series of raids in Johor Bahru, Selangor and Penang that culminated in several arrests and seizures of paedophile material,” Kumar told reporters at the Johor police contingent headquarters today, alongside Johor police chief Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad and senior officers.
During the operation, police arrested 10 other suspects including two local women, two Indonesian men, a Myanmar man, a Suluk woman from the Philippines and four Indonesian women.
All the suspects, aged between 25 and 60, have been detained to assist investigations.
Kumar said police also rescued three girls and two infant boys, aged between two months and five years old, who were in the custody of the main suspect.
“Investigators believe the babies and children are victims. The women suspects acted as their guardians and caregivers at that time.
“The children have been placed under the Social Welfare Department (JKM) care for the time being,” he said.
Investigators also seized various documents such as birth certificates, identity cards, maternity record books and blank National Registration Department (NRD) forms during the raids.
In addition, police confiscated mobile phones and hard drives from the main suspect’s home.
Kumar said the suspect was sourcing babies from mothers who wanted to sell them.
As part of his modus operandi, he obtained baby supplies through Facebook as a ruse to approach those looking to adopt.
“The suspect would then offer babies up for adoption after dealing with their biological mothers.
“In fact, there was a woman who was keen to sell her baby, as her pregnancy was out of wedlock. The suspect would procure the baby for between RM1,500 and RM3,500, including paying for the hospital delivery bill,” he said, adding that the suspect would then accompany the mother shortly after she had given birth to the NRD to obtain a valid birth certificate.
