Police Arrest Four in IPTV Piracy Raid

City of London Police arrested four suspects last week in Manchester during a raid that dismantled a major illegal IPTV streaming network serving millions of UK viewers with unauthorized access to television shows, films, and live sports, including Premier League matches. Authorities seized 10 servers valued at £750,000 and shut down the operation on site, which generated more than £3 million in revenue for its alleged organizers.

The investigation began after Sky reported suspicious activity linked to large-scale piracy. Officers from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit targeted a warehouse where the servers operated, arresting two women aged 21 and 40, a 49-year-old man from Bolton suspected of masterminding the revenue stream, and a 40-year-old man from Blackpool accused of conspiracy to distribute copyrighted material and money laundering. All four were released under investigation pending further inquiries.

The network provided subscribers with affordable access to premium content via modified devices like Fire Sticks, charging around £13.53 monthly or £162 annually. However, officials emphasized that these services fuel organized crime rather than offer harmless...