June 14, 200520 yr Link Police launch child porn raids in 13 countries Tue Jun 14, 8:36 AM ET AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Police in 13 European countries raided 150 locations in a child pornography crackdown on Tuesday, seizing computers, videos and other material, the European Union's police agency Europol said. Police carried out raids in Austria, Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Sweden, questioning around 150 suspects. Arrests were made in some countries. The operation, codenamed "Icebreaker," targeted suspected members of Internet child abuse networks in an investigation into the downloading and exchange of pictures of molested children, the Hague-based police agency said. "Most of the suspects are subject to further investigation as large quantities of equipment including computers, laptops, videos and other materials containing images of child abuse were seized," Europol said. The operation was led by Italian police and supported by Europol. Italian police provided most of the evidence in the investigation into the possession and distribution of child abuse material over the Internet during which users hid their electronic identities and encrypted their communications. "I find it of the utmost importance to focus on this extremely terrible kind of crime, which involves the abuse of children, so it is my hope that today's operation will lead the investigators to some of the producers behind these evil deeds," Europol's director Max-Peter Ratzel said. German federal police said they seized large quantities of evidence in raids on homes of five suspects in three different German states, including child porn videos and pictures. A spokeswoman said no actual arrests had been made so far in Germany but the suspects were being questioned. (With additional reporting by Mark Trevelyan in Berlin)
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