KUALA LUMPUR – Police have arrested a 29-year-old man described as the mastermind of a paedophile network that exploited babies and young children, producing abuse videos that were sold on Telegram and the dark web.
Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director Datuk M Kumar said the breakthrough came with the arrest of the suspect, a technician, during a raid in Johor Bahru on July 19.
“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.
Authorities said hundreds of images and videos were recovered from the suspect’s mobile phone. Five children – three girls and two infant boys, aged between two months and five years – were rescued from his custody.
Police believe the suspect sourced babies from mothers, through Facebook, who were willing to give them up, offering between RM1,500 and RM3,500 and covering hospital delivery bills.
“He would then accompany the mother to obtain valid birth documents before severing ties once the adoption process was finalised,” Kumar said, adding that the processes were technically within the law.
The children were then allegedly used to produce child sexual abuse material. Investigators also seized documents including birth certificates, identity cards, maternity records and blank registration forms, along with hard drives and mobile phones.
The month-long crackdown, codenamed Op Pedo, was carried out between July 19 and August 19 by Bukit Aman’s Malaysian Internet Crime Against Children Investigation Unit (Micac), the Johor police contingent and international agencies.
Ten other suspects – including locals, Indonesians, a Myanmar man and a woman from the Philippines – were also detained during coordinated raids. They are aged between 25 and 60.
Kumar said the women acted as guardians of the children at the time. The rescued victims have been placed under the care of the Social Welfare Department (JKM).
“The suspect is believed to have raped, sodomised and molested young girls to record content, which he disseminated on Telegram and the dark web to selected local and foreign buyers for monetary gain,” Kumar said.
Investigations are being conducted under the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 for producing, promoting and distributing child pornography. — August 29, 2025