Three men have been arrested in connection with the sale of nude photos and videos on Telegram, including content featuring children, according to the Maldives Police Service.
The arrests were made as part of a special operation launched by the police’s Cyber Crime Centre, which is targeting groups operating multiple Telegram channels to distribute explicit material of individuals both in the Maldives and abroad.
The three suspects arrested are Zubair Ali, 45, Nasif Ali, 46, and Ismail Rabeeh, 29. All three men have been remanded in custody following court appearances on separate dates.
According to police, Zubair Ali has been produced before the court four times, most recently on 30 August, where he was remanded in custody for an additional 15 days. Nasif Ali has appeared in court three times, with his latest hearing on Thursday resulting in a 15-day remand. Ismail Rabeeh was also remanded for 15 days following his second court appearance on Thursday.
The police stated that during the operation, 14 electronic devices linked to the case were searched, and nine Telegram accounts associated with the suspects were seized. Authorities have also seized 571 Telegram channels containing nude photos and videos, some of which featured children under the age of 18.
Police investigations have uncovered a vast collection of explicit content, with 241,651 photos and 86,618 videos shared across these channels. Of particular concern, 43 channels were reportedly dedicated to sharing nude images and videos of minors.
The police also revealed that a total of 3,468 people were subscribed to these channels, and the suspects had allegedly obtained approximately MVR 2 million through subscription fees.