P-Hunt: police register 135 cases, arrest eight in Statewide crackdown

The Counter Child Sexual Exploitation (CCSE) team operation under the Cyber Operations wing of Keralam undertook coordinated raids across the State on September 21 to unearth several cases and apprehend several people for the alleged possession of child sexual exploitative and abusive material (CSEAM).

According to official sources, eight people were arrested and 135 cases were registered under provisions of the Information Technology Act in connection with the special operation, codenamed ‘P-Hunt’. 

The investigators also seized 212 electronic devices, including mobile phones, modems, hard disks and memory cards, allegedly used for the crime.

The CCSE team recently identified 398 suspected locations using extensive intelligence gathering regarding the alleged CSEAM racket in the State.

Subsequently, the compiled intelligence was disseminated to 150 specialised teams operating under the supervision of District Police Chiefs. The squads, comprising cyber cell and cyber police personnel, technical experts and female officers conducted the raids.

Since the launch of ‘P-Hunt’, a total of 8,260 cases have been registered and 403 people arrested for allegedly possessing CSEAM.