NEWS

Mahajanga, Madagascar – In a coordinated international effort to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation, a 69-year-old foreign national residing in Mahajanga was arrested on May 7, 2025, for distributing child sexual abuse material.

The operation was the result of a strong partnership between the Malagasy National Police Service for Combating Cybercrime and Child Rescue Coalition. Through this cooperation, the foreigner was identified as a suspect involved in the online distribution of illegal and disturbing content featuring children.

Following the search and seizure operation, the suspect was taken into custody and later transferred to the Marofoto Emergency Detention Center. Legal proceedings have been initiated, with the individual formally presented to the prosecution.

“We have worked closely with our partners at UNODC East Africa for the past 9 months to support Malagasy law enforcement to conduct CSAM investigations, identify offenders and protect children from harm,” says Tom Farrell, Director of Core Technology and Academia for CRC. Farrell concludes, “we are proud of the Malagasy officers who have worked so hard in often challenging circumstances, and are now regularly working with CRC technology to protect the children on the island and bring offenders to justice.”

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