Four people in Greater Manchester and Lancashire have been arrested in connection with an illegal TV streaming network thought to be worth millions.
The raids, carried out by City of London Police “working with industry partners to take decisive action against large scale illegal IPTV streaming,” uncovered 10 servers valued at £75,000 each as well as “associated equipment.”
City of London Police’s initial statement claimed that four people had been arrested in Manchester in the raids, although the BBC has since reported that one man was arrested in Blackpool, with the three remaining suspects arrested in Bolton, Greater Manchester. The suspects were all held on suspicion of conspiracy to distribute items infringing copyright and money laundering.
During the operation, officers shut down the servers and those arrested were later released under investigation.
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The investigation began after Sky reported suspicious activity linked to a large scale illicit streaming service. Investigators identified the individuals believed to be operating an illegal IPTV service that supplied millions of consumers across the UK. One suspect is alleged to have generated more than £3 million in revenue alone from the operation.
Detective Constable Jordan Day, of the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at the City of London Police, said: “Criminals continue to provide illegal IPTV streaming services to consumers. These services are not harmless alternatives; they are examples of organised criminal operations generating millions in illegal profits.
It is more important than ever that our team works to protect the integrity of broadcasting and the millions of people who rely on it. This operation demonstrates the impact we can have when we work closely with partners like Sky to dismantle these illegal networks, sending a clear message to those who profit from piracy that they will be held to account.”
Matt Hibbert, group director of anti-piracy at Sky, added: “We thank the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit for taking decisive action against a major pirate operation. We take the protection of our content extremely seriously given the significant investment we make and will continue to work with the police and industry partners to disrupt the criminal networks behind piracy.
“People who watch illegal streams should know that it isn’t a victimless crime: recent research by BeStreamWise advise that nearly 65% of illegal streamers have faced security scares like malware through these unlawful methods. This action will help keep consumers, their devices and their personal data safe.”
Image of servers seized in the raids courtesy City of London Police
