Subscribe to our Telegram channel for our latest stories and breaking news.
A paedophile who has been operating without detection for 14 years has been arrested in Lundu, Sarawak after Australian police launched a investigation on him through the dark web
The sexual predator, Alladin Lanim, had been abusing children between the ages of two and 16, boasting and detailing his exploits on online forums for over a decade.
According to Sydney Morning Herald, the 40-year-old had been on Australian police’s radar for two years after a multi-national internal police report in 2019 listed his online alias as one of the top 10 offenders in the world for online child exploitation.
Alladin had been sharing child abuse material since 2007 and was linked to more than 1,000 images and recordings on the dark web.
Image for illustration purposes only.
Image via Interpol
Authorities were not able to find anything more than his anonymous online profile until Australian investigators made a breakthrough in August 2020
The Australian Federal Police-led (AFP) operation came across a possible image of the suspect on social media and sent the pictures to Malaysia.
Kuala Lumpur-based AFP officers, the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), and US Homeland Security investigators tried to identify the man but were limited by COVID-19 restrictions to conduct field inquiries.
In another lead this year, the Australian Transactions Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) finally matched his image with identifying information.
In July, with the help of Australian police, PDRM managed to track down Alladin at a Sarawak COVID-19 quarantine centre, where he was undergoing mandatory isolation after coming back from Peninsular Malaysia.
He was arrested after completing quarantine on 5 July.
Alladin Lanim escorted by PDRM during a court appearance in Kuching in August.
Image via Dayak Daily
Alladin pleaded guilty to a total of 18 charges and was sentenced to 18 and a half years in prison and 15 strokes of the cane
According to The Star, he was sentenced for molesting five boys and committed the offences at a plantation and a veranda of a house in Lundu.
It was found that Alladin had offered to let them play mobile games on his phone, then induced them to watch pornographic videos and abused them.
Sydney Morning Herald reported that Australian investigators have also rescued four children aged nine to 14 following his arrest. They have identified 34 more victims and believe the sexual predator had abused many more in the area.
If you or someone you know may be at risk or has experienced sexual abuse or assault, please reach out to these Malaysian organisations:
1. WOMEN’S AID ORGANISATION (WAO)
Operating hours: 24-hour
Contact: +603-30008858
SMS/WhatsApp: +6018-9888058
2. ALL WOMEN’S ACTION SOCIETY (AWAM)
Operating hours: Weekdays (9.30am – 4.30pm)
Contact: +603-78770224
WhatsApp: +6016-2284221 | +6016-2374221
Email: [email protected]
3. WOMEN’S CENTRE FOR CHANGE PENANG (WCC PENANG)
Operating hours: Weekdays (9am – 5pm)
Contact: +604-2280342 | +604-3988340
WhatsApp: +6011-31084001 | +6016-4390698
Email: [email protected]
4. SARAWAK WOMEN FOR WOMEN SOCIETY (SWWS)
Operating hours: Monday to Friday (9am to 5.30pm)
Contact: +6082-422660
SMS/WhatsApp: +6013-8044285
Email: [email protected]
5. SABAH WOMEN’S ACTION-RESOURCE GROUP (SAWO)
Operating hours: Monday to Friday (9am to 2pm)
Contact: +6088-280200
Email: [email protected]
6. PROTECT AND SAVE THE CHILDREN (PS THE CHILDREN)
Operating hours: Monday to Friday (8.30am to 5.30pm)
Contact: +6016-2273065 | +6016-7213065
WhatsApp: +6016-7213065
Email: [email protected]
7. INTERNET WATCH FOUNDATION (IWF)
Anonymously and confidentially report child sexual abuse content and non-photographic child sexual abuse images with IWF’s Reporting Portal.