93,000 PORNO NET ADDRESSES RECEIVED
But police probed into only 103 due to staff shortage, arrest 50 people
POLICE have received tens of thousands of Internet protocol (IP) addresses suspected of sharing child pornography from international authorities over the past six years.
However, due to manpower shortage, the number of arrests and inspections carried out was paled in comparison.
Federal police’s Sexual, Women and Children Crime Investigation Division (D11) principal assistant director Assistant Commissioner Siti Kamsiah Hassan said from 2017 to March this year, the police received 93,368 IP addresses suspected of being involved in the activity.
This was done through an information sharing system comprising the International Police Criminal Organisation, the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National Centre For Missing and Exploited Children.
She said due to a lack of trained staff to filter and scrutinise the information, only 103 IP addresses were checked, which led to the arrests of 50 people.
“The information received will be examined by the Malaysian Internet Crime Against Children (MICAC) D11 investigation unit, which consists of three investigating officers with the ranks of inspector.
“So, D11 hopes that the allocation announced by the government in the 2022 Budget involving increase in staff and financial allocation can be channeled immediately.
“This is to ensure that this division can play a more effective role in tackling crimes involving children,” she said recently.
Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, when tabling the 2022 Budget in the Dewan Rakyat last year, said a RM13 million allocation and 100 new posts would be provided for D11 fight violence and crime against children and women.
Kamsiah said the working paper on D11’s plan on the allocation was submitted to the Public Service Department last March.
She said D11 planned to set up an MICAC in each police contingent with at least one investigating member.
The requirement is necessary as browsing activities, including uploading and downloading of child pornography, have been increasing every year.
“In 2017, only 46 IP addresses were suspected to be involved.
“It increased to 2,660 IP addresses in 2018; 9,017 IP addresses in 2019; 18,508 IP addresses by 2020; 48,752 IP addresses in 2021; and 14,385 IP addresses in the first three months of this year.
“The number of arrests also saw an increase.
“In 2017 to 2019, two individuals were arrested.
“This went up 22 people in 2020 and 24 last year, and in the first three months of this year, two people were arrested.
“The increasing trend is worrying and even international enforcement agencies are offering to cooperate with our police to boost enforcement.”
Kamsiah said the arrest of the 41-yearold paedophile from Lundu, Sarawak, who was sentenced to 48 years and six months in prison and 15 lashes last year, was made through information sharing.
“The paedophile not only uploaded child pornographic videos on the dark web, but also admitted to molesting and grooming children since he was a student at a local university in Selangor in 2002.
“He also admitted to sharing these acts with paedophiles on the dark web.”