Interior Ministry on high alert: 7 pedophiles arrested in operation "Armageddon"; Photo of 4-year-old children

As stated in the press release of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the arrests were carried out by the Directorate for Technology – Department for Combating High-Tech Crime, in cooperation with the Special Department for Combating High-Tech Crime of the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade, the Criminal Police Directorate, and police departments in Belgrade, Sombor, Niš, and Novi Sad.

Seven people were arrested on suspicion of committing the criminal offense of displaying, acquiring, and possessing pornographic material and exploiting a minor for pornography.

It is suspected that B.F. (1969), P.M. (2002), D.N. (1988), B.R. (1954), S.S. (1962), P.S. (1962), and M.O. (1982), over an extended period of time, downloaded, stored, and shared material created through the sexual exploitation of children via the Dark Web.

During searches of the suspects’ apartments, several gigabytes of photographs and video recordings depicting severe abuse of children were found on electronic devices, in most cases involving children aged 4 to 14, categorized by age, gender, and other parameters.

The suspects have been detained for up to 48 hours and will be brought before the competent prosecutor’s office along with criminal charges.

Operation “Armageddon” sends a clear message that the Ministry of the Interior will not tolerate any form of child abuse and that the digital space is not an anonymous refuge for perpetrators of such crimes.

The Department for Combating High-Tech Crime continues intensive efforts to detect and prosecute all individuals involved in criminal offenses against minors.

The Ministry of the Interior appeals to parents to increase supervision of their children’s online activities and to report any suspicion of abuse to the competent authorities.