How CBI and INTERPOL track cross-border child abuse networks

Police in India have a special team that investigates very serious crimes involving pictures and videos of children being hurt that are shared online.

These crimes are called child sexual exploitation and abuse material, or CSEAM, and they often involve people and evidence spread across many countries.

To catch the people responsible, police agencies in different countries work together and share information through an organization called INTERPOL.

India also joined a special database called ICSE, which helps investigators recognize pictures and videos that may already have been found in another country.

Using this database, Indian police were able to find and arrest suspects in places like Thanjavur, Hisar, and Aizawl.

In June 2025, police in Hisar and Aizawl used tips from Google and the ICSE database together to rescue a child victim.

India built a new online portal called BHARATPOL to make it easier for police departments to ask for international help.

Information from other countries only gives police a starting point, because they still have to gather proof and build a case that holds up in court.

The most important goal is always to find children in danger, protect them, and make sure the people who hurt them face justice.