KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 22 — Eight minors aged between 13 and 18 were among dozens arrested for possessing child child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) in a joint operation by Bukit Aman’s Criminal Investigation Department and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission.

Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk M. Kumar told a press conference here that the minors were being investigated for possessing and selling animated CSAM made using artificial intelligence (AI), describing it as a “worrying trend”.

“What is most worrying about this is that among those arrested were minors and civil servants,” he said today. 

“This has serious implications and poses a threat to our children,” he added.

Kumar said that the civil servants arrested are a 24-year-old teacher, and a 44-year-old laboratory assistant who works at a different school.

He said the teacher was among 53 of 92 “targets” arrested in a nationwide raid as part of Operation Pedo 3.0, which followed months of investigations.

Only one of those arrested was a foreign national, with the rest being Malaysians, he added.

From the raids, police seized 95 items comprising 90 digital devices such as mobile phones, computers, laptops, tablets, storage devices and routers or modems.

There were also five sex toys confiscated.

“From our initial checks of the devices we found 653,193 digital files, comprising 540,127 child sexual abuse material files and 113,066 adult pornography files,” he said.

Police have opened 52 investigation papers following the operation.

Court action has been taken against 23 while the remaining 29 are still under investigation as of yesterday.