Police working across eight European countries, including Malta, arrested dozens of people this week in connection with a huge Internet child pornography ring, French authorities said yesterday.

The total number of arrests was not available but French police said they were carried out simultaneously with counterparts in Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Norway, Malta and the Netherlands.

"Information on computer hard disks belonging to the suspects led us to several thousand child pornography pictures and videos with children in them," French police said in a statement.

French teams using Internet surveillance equipment found links to people using remote computers sending child pornography over the Internet.

Around 20 people were arrested in France and another 10 were under investigation.

Swedish police said the sweep was called Operation Callidus and resulted from an investigation launched last autumn.

"It is a big global problem (child pornography on the Internet) and we have our share," said Annethe Ahlenius, a Swedish detective inspector.

She said no arrests had been made in Sweden, but the police had questioned people and searched homes around the country. Those under investigation are suspected of possession and transmission of child pornography.

"We are investigating 15 people (in Sweden)," she said. Danish police confirmed they had participated in a child pornography operation with other European countries.

"Danish police have taken part in a European action against suspected child pornographers. We will charge two Danish citizens for trafficking," said Bjarne Vilsboell, detective chief superintendent at police headquarters in Copenhagen.