Singaporean police have arrested 11 men in connection with a massive four-week cross-border operation targeting online child sexual exploitation. The crackdown, involving police forces from Singapore, Brunei, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, and Thailand, led to the arrest of 326 individuals across 382 locations between March 23 and April 17.
Authorities also identified an additional 119 people assisting with investigations, including 16 in Singapore. The arrested and investigated individuals range in age from 12 to 72, comprising 430 men and 15 women. Seized electronic devices included computers, mobile phones, tablets, storage devices, and routers, along with significant amounts of child sexual abuse material and obscene content.
In Singapore, the 11 arrested men, aged 22 to 44, are suspected of producing, possessing, accessing, and distributing child sexual abuse material, engaging in sexual communication with minors, and distributing obscene content. Early investigations indicate eight knowingly accessed and downloaded such materials via online messaging and peer-to-peer services. Two men were investigated for making cross-border payments to access obscene materials through a Telegram channel, stemming from intelligence shared by Malaysian police.
One case involved materials of two victims sexually exploited overseas through an online platform. This investigation was initiated through a referral from a non-governmental organization, leading to an arrest on March 27. Investigations are ongoing into images of another potential victim found on the suspect's devices.