Malaysian police bust child porn ring, while bombings and murders dominate weekly crime report

Police in Kuala Lumpur carried out Operation Op Pedo 3.0, arresting eight children and confiscating more than 2.1 million files of child sexual abuse material and pornography, which were being sold for RM50-RM60 in secret online groups. The Children’s Commissioner called for separate assessment of child victims and emphasized rehabilitation where appropriate. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission reported that it removed 11,665 pieces of illicit content and shut down 1,031 websites between January 1 and September 21, and the communications minister pledged tighter technical cooperation with police.

In Kuching, Sarawak, two men were held on suspicion of using explosives to attack two 24-hour convenience stores, with investigations probing a possible link to illegal gambling sales. In Kelantan, five men - one local and four Myanmar refugees - were detained for the murder of an 18-year-old refugee, with a machete seized as the likely weapon. Separate homicide cases involved three foreign university students in Ipoh, linked to the blunt-force death of a 53-year-old man, and a husband and his 15-year-old son arrested after a disabled woman was found stabbed in Kuala Kangsar.