69 Held Over Distribution, Sale Of CSAM Material

KUALA LUMPUR, April 30 (Bernama) -- Police have detained 69 individuals, including civil servants, for alleged involvement in the distribution and sale of pornographic content and child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in a nationwide special operation earlier this month.

Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail said the suspects, aged between 15 and 66, were held during Ops Cyber Guardian 2026 conducted from April 6 to 8.

He said the operation was part of an international collaboration involving Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan.

Police seized 498,690 digital files, comprising 204,934 CSAM files and 293,756 adult pornographic files.

“A total of 67 investigation papers have been opened under various laws, including the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, National Registration Regulations 1990 and the Penal Code,” he said at a press conference here today.

As of now, 62 suspects have been charged in court, involving 81 charges. Two individuals were sentenced to between three- and seven-months’ imprisonment, while another was jailed for six months and fined RM3,500.

“Another 29 individuals were fined between RM1,700 and RM7,000,” he said.

On the modus operandi, Mohd Khalid said suspects operated individually and in groups, using social media platforms to distribute and sell the materials.

Investigations revealed a structured digital ecosystem, with group administrators offering paid access via e-wallet transactions and QR codes.

“Most of the materials were sourced from overseas before being compiled and resold by individuals or groups for commercial gain,” he said.

He stressed that police will not compromise with those exploiting children and advised the public to monitor their children’s online activities to mitigate cyber threats.

-- BERNAMA