WARSAW: Polish police have detained 33 people in a sting operation against suspected users and dealers of Internet child pornography, officials said on Tuesday.

Under Polish law, police can detain suspects for 48 hours after which they have to formally charge them. Polish Interior Ministry spokesman Michal Rachon said a nationwide operation on Monday involving 360 police seized 2,400 disks and 51 computers containing 1,000 gigabytes of child pornography which had been distributed or sold via the Internet.

Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro told a news conference the operation, which was ongoing, marked the launch of a concerted effort to fight child pornography, which would include changes to Polish law. He gave no further details. Production and distribution of pornography involving children under 18 is punishable with up to eight years in prison in Poland. If the victims are under 15, the maximum prison term rises to 10 years.—Reuters