KUALA LUMPUR: Police have not ruled out the possibility that the recently busted paedophilia content syndicate has international links.
Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director Comm Datuk M. Kumar, speaking after a meeting with TikTok officials at Bukit Aman, said police had received information from overseas enforcement agencies regarding the group’s activities.
“Investigations from Op Pedo are still ongoing and we are forced to face an enemy we cannot see, as it is difficult to trace the owners of these dark web sites,” he said.
He added that no new individuals have been detected apart from the 11 arrested in Johor during Op Pedo, which was conducted between July 19 and August 19.
At a press conference in Johor on August 29, Comm Kumar said police have rescued five children, including two babies, who are believed to have been abused to produce photos and videos for the paedophile syndicate.
He said the children are aged between two months and five years and are believed to have been sold to the syndicate via social media.
"The syndicate’s modus operandi was to offer pregnant mothers between RM1,500 and RM3,500 to give their children up for adoption.
The children were then 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," he said at Johor police headquarters on Friday (Aug 29).
