Mumbai: Maharashtra Cyber has arrested a 49-year-old man in Malad (West) for allegedly possessing more than 20,000 images and videos of child sexual exploitation and abuse material (CSEAM), in what officials described as a major strike against online child sexual exploitation, IANS reported.

Source: IANS

The accused has been identified as Saifuddin Zamir Uddin Malik, a resident of Malad (West). According to a press release issued by the office of the Additional Director General of Police, Maharashtra Cyber, he was taken into custody on November 7 following a targeted cyber intelligence operation.

The operation was driven by continuous digital surveillance by three specialised units of Maharashtra Cyber — the CCPWC, OCWC and TRACE divisions — which allegedly tracked CSEAM downloading activity to Malik's mobile device, Nation Press reported.

Source: Nation Press

During the investigation, more than 20,000 objectionable images and videos were allegedly recovered from the mobile device, officials said.

FIR No. 88/2026 has been registered at the nodal cyber police station of Maharashtra Cyber under Section 294 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Section 15 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, and Section 67(B) of the Information Technology Act, 2000.

The allegations are police allegations at this stage and the investigation is continuing. Maharashtra Cyber has urged people to report online child exploitation through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (cybercrime.gov.in). No victim has been identified in the reporting, and no identifying details of any minor form part of this story.