The Department of Internal Affairs

Te Tari Taiwhenua | Department of Internal Affairs

Building a safe, prosperous and respected nation



Operation H case study

Operation H was the largest and most challenging online child exploitation operation led out of New Zealand to date. It focused on stopping the spread of some of the most egregious and devastating examples of child exploitation material found on the internet to date.

Operation H commenced in October 2019 by DIA’s Digital Child Exploitation Team following an alert from an Electronic Service Provider who had found tens of thousands of offenders using the platform to share some of the most horrific and devastating child sexual abuse material online.

To carry out this Operation, DIA brought together international law enforcement agencies including the FBI, the Australian Federal Police, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the National Crime Agency in the UK, Europol, and INTERPOL, as well as NZ Police and New Zealand Customs Service to establish a coordinated approach to identifying and investigating individuals tied to these accounts

Timeline

See below for a timeline of events during the operation, which began in September 2019.

 

               The image depicts the Operation’s timeline, which began in September 2019 when investigations commenced. In October to November 2019, DIA undertook and completed extensive analysis of the 90,000 users of child exploitation material. From November 2019 to February 2020 the operational planning commenced and we continued to extensively assist our international partners with their investigations. Continuing from that point the government, including DIA and NZ Police, with intelligence support from Customers Service, began to issue warrants and prosecutions.

Result

Hundreds of investigations followed, leading to the identification of more than 90,000 online accounts that have possessed or traded child sexual abuse material and the safeguarding of 146 children across the world.

 

The image shows a table that provides a break-down of the cases investigated and children safeguarded by their countries and the outcome of the investigations.

 

Outcome

The Operation and prosecutions that followed represent a major success in international efforts to undermine and disestablish the environments and networks that seek to exploit children.

It paved the way for lasting change in many regards, such as:

  • The introduction of new and innovative approaches to data and intelligence techniques that provide a quantum leap in keeping people safe online
  • Setting a global benchmark with updates to the referral process
  • Strengthened domestic and international relationships leading to greater responsiveness when children are at risk
  • Growth in the skills, processes, and specialist capabilities of investigators across the globe

The operation’s success and global coverage serve as a strong warning to offenders who prey on children online and distribute child sexual abuse material. It also highlights the global nature of the issue and emphasises the importance and strength of international collaboration.