On Tuesday 19, authorities announced the dismantling of a network that produced and distributed child pornography in Argentina.
Forming part of an international operation named “Alerta America,” Argentinian police searched various houses in the outskirts of Buenos Aires, reported Telam. The officers investigated over 33 people and detained three, two of which appeared to be part of the pornography network.
The operation was carried out by cybercrime specialists, affirmed El Nuevo Herald, and through tapping telephones and information provided by Interpol, they discovered that the pornographic material was shared via messaging service WhatsApp.
The operation began in 2016, when Guatemalan authorities found videos and images of child porn on a suspect’s phone, according to La Nacion. After 48 searches carried out in five countries, police seized a massive quantity of computers, mobiles and memory cards, among other items.
More arrests are likely to be made in the upcoming weeks after the authorities are able to analyse the information on the confiscated material.
Enrique Del Carril, head of the Argentine Body of Judicial Investigations (CIJ) explained the importance of cooperation within this operation to La Nacion.
“Simultaneous team operations are the future in order to guarantee the success of these operations and the preservation of evidence for these types of crimes,” he told the Argentine newspaper. “Because we know that if just one person manages to alert all the members on a WhatsApp group it defeats the entire investigation.”
Although seemingly based in Argentina, the child pornography network had many links with other countries within the South American continent, reported El Universo, as well as material appearing as far afield as Spain.
