Police in the UK Taking Down Multiple Pirate IPTV Services

• Three pirate IPTV services in the UK were taken down, and their operators have been arrested.
• The police accused the arrested individuals of money laundering and fraudulent operations.
• Even the subscribers of one of the platforms saw a message of warning on their screens.

The pirate IPTV scene in the UK has taken a hit, as the police have arrested at least four people in the context of three individual cases, charging them with fraud and money laundering offenses. In one case involving a 24-year-old operator of a pirate IPTV platform based in East Suffolk, the police managed to hijack the streams that reached the subscribers of the illegal service, warning them about the criminal nature of their acts and that their IP address has been recorded. The following message is what the IPTV subscribers got on their screens.

Source: Torrent Freak

Earlier, on June 25, 2020, the Lancashire Police arrested a 28-year-old man and immediately seized his assets. This includes a Range Rover Sport SVR V8, an Audi A5 convertible, designer clothing, bags, and expensive watches. The particular individual was merely suspected of being involved in the supply of pirate IPTV services, but this seems to be enough nowadays to secure warrant searches and the seizure of property. The goal of the UK Police is clearly to send a message to those involved in these fraudulent operations, promising that any assets they acquired illegally will be seized without much tribulation or any chance to object.

Source: Torrent Freak

In Northern Ireland, the Police arrested a 34-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman, charging them with fraud, illegal possession of media, copyright infringement, unauthorized use of trademark, and concealing of criminal property. The police did not name this IPTV platform nor any of those connected with the other two arrests. Also, if you’ve received a warning message about your IP address being recorded, you may face further legal trouble or fines. Still, the police didn’t make any statements regarding that either.

The common denominator on all three of these cases is that the charges involve offenses relevant to the Fraud Act and the Proceeds of Crime Act. These are well beyond accusing someone of copyright law violations, that was the case all these years. Now, IPTV service providers are treated as criminals and face grave consequences for their actions. Also, the police are dedicating large amounts of money, time, and staff, to go after these criminals, conducting raids, and carrying out lengthy and intricate investigations.

Naturally, UK citizens who aren’t participating in piracy complain about the police resources that are devoted to fighting a crime that doesn’t leave a deep dent in society but only on the pockets of few copyright holders. No matter if you agree or not, this is what goes on in the UK right now, and if you have been thinking that you’re just a casual subscriber who is looking to save a few pounds until now, you may want to reconsider your stance.