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Operation Fly Trap: 17 arrested in Italian child pornography crackdown
Italian authorities have dismantled a transnational criminal organization dedicated to the online distribution of child pornography through ‘Operation Fly Trap’. The investigation, coordinated by the District Anti-Mafia Directorate of the Rome Prosecutor's Office and conducted by the National Center for the Contrast of Online Child Pornography (Cncpo), was initiated following intelligence shared by the US agency Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
The operation targeted a private Telegram community known as ‘New Saga’, which grew to include over 1,000 participants. Access to the group was restricted to those who paid via cryptocurrency or shared new illegal material. Law enforcement officers successfully infiltrated the network using undercover tactics, eventually gaining ‘co-administrator’ status to monitor the group's activities.
The crackdown resulted in 17 arrests, including 10 made in flagrante delicto, with suspects located across Italy and Switzerland. Authorities conducted 23 searches and seized approximately 282.9 gigabytes of illegal material, consisting of over 22,000 videos and 34,000 images. The investigation also led to the seizure of roughly 200 digital devices.
Entities
Banca del Fucino · Banco di Napoli · Cassazione · Centro Nazionale per il Contrasto alla Pedopornografia Online · Claudio Lotito · Direzione Distrettuale Antimafia di Roma · Federico De Matteis · Homeland Security Investigations · Mauro Masi · Olinto Bonalumi · Polizia di Stato · Procura della Repubblica presso il Tribunale di Roma
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 11 SOURCES] Access to the private Telegram community required cryptocurrency payments or the sharing of new material. www.mediapress24.it · www.lacronaca24.it · primalamartesana.it · www.bergamonews.it · www.forchecaudine.com · +6 more
- [● 7 SOURCES] The investigation is coordinated by the District Anti-Mafia Directorate of the Rome Prosecutor's Office. www.mediapress24.it · www.forchecaudine.com · www.lacronaca24.it · primalamartesana.it · www.terranostranews.it · +2 more
- [● 11 SOURCES] The operation resulted in 17 arrests, including 10 made in flagrante delicto. www.mediapress24.it · www.forchecaudine.com · www.lacronaca24.it · primalamartesana.it · www.terranostranews.it · +6 more
- [● 12 SOURCES] Authorities seized over 22,000 videos and 34,000 images totaling approximately 282.9 gigabytes of illegal material. www.mediapress24.it · www.forchecaudine.com · www.lacronaca24.it · primalamartesana.it · www.terranostranews.it · +7 more
- [● 12 SOURCES] The ‘Fly Trap’ operation led to 17 arrests related to online child pornography. www.mediapress24.it · www.forchecaudine.com · www.lacronaca24.it · primalamartesana.it · www.terranostranews.it · +7 more
- [● 12 SOURCES] The investigation was initiated following information shared by the US agency Homeland Security Investigations regarding a Telegram group named ‘New Saga’. www.mediapress24.it · www.forchecaudine.com · www.lacronaca24.it · primalamartesana.it · www.terranostranews.it · +7 more
- [● 6 SOURCES] The Telegram community consisted of more than 1,000 participants. www.cataniatoday.it · www.lacronaca24.it · www.metropolisweb.it · primalamartesana.it · www.barlettaviva.it · +1 more
- [● 5 SOURCES] The operation involved 23 local, personal, and digital searches. www.mediapress24.it · www.forchecaudine.com · www.cataniatoday.it · www.metropolisweb.it · primalamartesana.it