Following a 2024 investigation launched after a U.S. Homeland Security tip-off, Italian police arrested 17 people and seized over 283 gigabytes of illicit content distributed by a Telegram network called “New Saga.” The international sweep, dubbed Operation Fly Trap, has since triggered two additional arrests in Singapore.
An international operation coordinated by prosecutors from Rome’s Anti-Mafia Directorate dismantled a transnational criminal organization dedicated to distributing child sexual abuse material online, Italian authorities announced. The sweep, named Operation Fly Trap, resulted in 17 arrests across Italy and Switzerland, including ten suspects caught in the act, according to the large operation carried out by specialists of the Postal Police.
Investigators seized more than 22,000 videos, 34,000 images, and 282.9 gigabytes of illicit material depicting victims as young as four years old. The network was reportedly operated by four Italians and one Swiss national.
Undercover Infiltration of the Telegram Group New Saga
The breakthrough in the case relied on an undercover operative who gained the trust of the group’s administrators, eventually becoming a co-administrator to access private channels. Rome chief prosecutor Francesco Lo Voi described the setup during a press conference detailing the results.
It was a particularly important investigation, not only because of the numbers. What we discovered was an organization with a structure comparable to a multinational company and with key figures who acted as administrators,
added the head of the Rome prosecutors, stating that crucial was the ability of an agent who managed to infiltrate this organization and gain its trust, eventually becoming an administrator himself
of the group.
Francesco Lo Voi, Rome chief prosecutor
The network operated through a Telegram community known as New Saga, which counted more than 1,000 users worldwide. Administrators utilized a private chat designated as “La Sala dei Re” (“Hall of Kings”) for internal communications, managing servers, moderating content, and deploying automated bots to keep the network active even when platform moderators shut down individual chats.
Cryptocurrency Paywalls and Global Reach
Members seeking entry to the illicit channels were required to pay small fees described as “donations” ranging from $3 to $9 per month using cryptocurrencies, or alternatively provide new illicit material. Italian authorities identified 996 accounts linked to 98 countries, sharing the intelligence with international law enforcement agencies.
The investigation itself began in 2024 following a tip-off from US Homeland Security Investigations regarding the Telegram presence. Prosecutors emphasized the striking demographic of the suspects involved in running the ring.
The disturbing fact is the novelty regarding the young age of the organization's members (between 22 and 28 years old) and the ability to generate money from this horrific criminal phenomenon.
Francesco Lo Voi, Rome prosecutor
Singapore Police Arrest Two Men Following Italian Intelligence Share
The intelligence shared by Rome authorities prompted swift action abroad. The Singapore Police Force confirmed that it received information from the Italian authorities concerning the Telegram group’s operations.
Acting on the tip, Singapore law enforcement officers arrested two men aged 27 and 33 for possessing or gaining access to child abuse material. Local authorities did not disclose whether the two suspects knew each other or release their nationalities, and investigations remain ongoing. Under Singapore law, individuals convicted of possessing or accessing such material while knowing or having reason to believe it is child abuse material face up to five years in prison, alongside potential fines or caning.
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