New Zealand-based internet companies have been caught up in an Interpol operation targetting child sex abuse websites from the global police agencies ‘worst of list.’

From December 2021 to July 2023, Operation Narsil​ targetted criminals behind chid sex abuse websites “designed to generate profits from advertising”.

A spokesperson from the Department of Internal Affairs says their Digital Child Exploitation Team has been working with Interpol as part of the operation.

“DECT sought information via production orders from three different New Zealand-based entities identified by Interpol.”

The spokesperson says that at present no-one in New Zealand had been arrested, and that the “entities” in New Zealand are two internet service providers and one hosting provider.

“All (are) private companies who were unknowingly involved.”

They also say this operation highlights the importance of global law enforcement cooperation against online child exploitation.

Interpol general secretary Jurgen Stock says the operation used Interpol’s "worst of list", sharing intelligence, pinpointing suspects and coordinating the arrest of people managing the websites.

Created in 2010, Interpol’s "worst of list" contains a watchlist of websites containing extreme child abuse material.

“Operation Narsil sends a strong message to the criminals making money from these websites that Interpol, and its alliance of police forces in 195 member countries, know where they are, what they are doing, and how to find them.

“Every time a person clicks on these images, they are effectively entering a crime scene. Identifying and removing these websites reduces the availability and potential normalisation of online child abuse material, and, most importantly, reduces the re0victimisation of the children abused.”

Interpol says it has been monitoring websites disseminating child abuse imagery for more than 13 years and, in collaboration with law enforcement partners across the globe, has seized more than 20,000 domains.

As well as New Zealand authorities, Operation Narsil involved investigations in 27 countries.

-Benn Bathgate/Stuff.