A 35-year-old South African has been arrested in Midrand during a joint operation by the South African Police Service (SAPS) and international law enforcement agencies.
The suspect was caught with over 10 million images and videos of child pornography during the operation conducted on Friday, January 17, 2025.
The raid was carried out by the Serial and Electronic Crime Investigations (SECI) units, along with the Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences (FCS) division led by Major General Mmantsheke Lekhele.
Electronic devices containing child sexual abuse material were confiscated, along with large sums of cash suspected to be proceeds of crime.
According to SAPS, the suspect was involved in accessing, downloading, distributing, and hosting child pornography on a global scale for financial gain.
Drugs and fraudulent items were also seized during the operation.
This arrest followed intelligence shared by international law enforcement, highlighting the suspect’s role in a worldwide child exploitation network.
The suspect is set to appear before the Randburg Magistrates’ Court next week.
Over the past two years, SAPS has made 21 arrests linked to child pornography. In December 2024, similar operations led to the arrest of a 41-year-old
A 35 year old South African national has been arrested by a joint force of international law enforcement agencies and local authorities, in connection to child pornography and exploitation.
The yet to be identified suspect was arrested in Midrand, South Africa, with over 10… pic.twitter.com/1l79A3RcnQ
— SIKAOFFICIAL🦍 (@SIKAOFFICIAL1) January 20, 2025
