FOUR ARRESTED AS PIPCU SHUT DOWN £750K ILLEGAL IPTV OPERATION

Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police has arrested 4 people and seized 10 servers in Manchester as part of an investigation into a large-scale illegal IPTV streaming service.

Officers executed warrants last week, confiscating servers and associated equipment valued at around £75,000 each, with total seizures exceeding £750,000 (€866,000).

The investigation began after Sky reported suspicious activity linked to an illicit streaming service. Investigators identified individuals believed to be operating an illegal IPTV operation supplying consumers across the UK, with one suspect alleged to have generated more than £3 million in revenue.

During the raids, officers shut down the servers on site. Sky said the action caused widespread disruption to the service’s illegal streaming output across the UK.

Detective Constable Jordan Day said the services are “organised criminal operations generating millions in illegal profits”, adding that working closely with partners such as Sky helps dismantle piracy networks and “send a clear message” to those behind them.

Matt Hibbert, Sky’s Group Director of Anti-Piracy, said the broadcaster would continue working with police and industry partners to disrupt criminal networks, and warned consumers that illegal streams can expose devices and personal data to risks. He pointed to research from BeStreamWise suggesting nearly 65% of illegal streamers have faced security scares such as malware.

Source: broadbandtvnews.com