Italian police seize 200,000 child‑abuse files and arrest six suspects

The Polizia di Stato concluded the multi‑regional "Iris" operation against the online distribution of child sexual abuse material. Coordinated by the Lombardy Cyber‑Security Operational Centre and the Milan public prosecutor, with support from the National Center for the Contrast of Online Child Pornography and an international non‑profit partner, investigators identified six men aged 40‑64 who downloaded, stored and shared illicit images and videos. Arrests were made in Milan, Lodi, Como and Naples. In total, more than 200,000 files – images and video – were seized from computers and storage devices seized during raids. Three additional persons were charged, and a further cache of digital evidence was confiscated for analysis. The investigation, launched in December 2025, remains in the preliminary‑investigation phase; the suspects are presumed innocent until a court verdict.