Second M’sian booted from Australia, this time over ‘child exploitation’ material

PETALING JAYA: A second Malaysian man has been removed from Australia after he was caught with “child exploitation” material on his mobile device.

Australian Border Force (ABF) in a statement yesterday, said they stopped the 38-year-old man at Melbourne airport on Tuesday (July 10) for baggage examination.

Authorities found two videos and 20 photos on his mobile device deemed to be “child exploitation” material.

Following an interview, his electronic device was seized, his visa was cancelled and he was transferred to Maribyrnong Immigration Detention Centre pending his removal from Australia.

Craig Palmer, the ABF regional commander for Victoria, said this offensive material has no place in Australian society.

“Visitors to Australia engaging in this behaviour should expect to be caught and to forfeit their right to be here,” said Commander Palmer in a statement yesterday.

“The ABF is committed to detecting and investigating anyone involved in importing this material, ensuring we are protecting the Australian community,” he said.

The Daily Telegraph reported that four international visitors are caught by authorities every week for attempting to smuggle child exploitation material into Australia.

The ABF told The Daily Telegraph that they seized a total of 186 items of “objectionable” material in 2017 and 2018.

“Child exploitation is a global issue, and is not limited to any nationality,” ABF regional commander for New South Wales Danielle Yannopoulos told The Daily Telegraph.

“Recently, we’ve detected passengers from Malaysia, Sierra Leone, China and India,” she said.

Commander Yannopoulos said that Australian citizens have also been caught arriving and departing the country with child exploitation material.

The growing problem of child exploitation led to the setting up of the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) in March to improve the coordination between Australian agencies.

ACCCE is led by the Australian Federal Police and works with international counterparts, such as the United States Centre for Missing and Exploited Children.