SHAH ALAM, Sept 22 — The police are monitoring social media for statements in connection with the ongoing criminal investigation into Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings (GISBH).

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said a special team from the federal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has been tasked with this monitoring, Sinar Harian reported today.

"This comes after it was detected that individuals connected to GISBH, former members, and others have been making statements or disclosures on social media.

"For any disclosures or information, we (the police) request these individuals to come forward and assist with the investigation,” he was quoted as telling the Malay daily when contacted.

Razarudin said investigations are continuing after yesterday’s raids, codenamed Op Global, were carried out across the peninsula.

"We are focusing on this matter first before moving to the next phase,” he told the newspaper.

The cases are being investigated under Section 31(1) of the Child Act 2001 and Section 14 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007.

National news agency Bernama reported that close to 200 people have been arrested since the GISBH child sexual exploitation scandal exploded on September 11.

On that day, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain announced that the arrest of 171 individuals connected to the local corporation purporting to be Islamic was suspected of multiple criminal activities, including sodomising children and grooming them to perform similar sexual acts on other minors.

He announced that police rescued over 400 children during 20 raids on welfare homes in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan.

The raids were prompted by 41 police reports that had been lodged against the company since 2011 until September 7 this year.

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay had hinted at the child exploitation scandal on September 8, without naming GISBH.

Yesterday, Razaruddin said 155 individuals, including its CEO Datuk Nasaruddin Ali, and 77 women, had been arrested on suspicion of involvement with the corporation’s alleged criminal activities.

The arrests were made during raids on 82 premises, including charity homes, business clinics, madrasahs, and private residences.

Police rescued another 186 people, of which 102 were men and 84 women, at the same time.

The minors rescued included a child whose image had been widely shared on social media after being caned by a man believed to be a GISBH member.

GISBH CEO Nasaruddin had admitted to "one or two” sodomy incidents involving the group in the early days after the initial police raids, but denied the allegations of abuse and said the corporation would take legal actions against those who defamed it.