Four arrested in Manchester as PIPCU dismantle £750k illegal IPTV operation that halts millions of illegal streams

As the industry marks the 100^th anniversary of television, the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police are working with industry partners to take decisive action against large scale illegal IPTV streaming.

Officers executed warrants in Manchester last week, making four arrests and seizing ten servers and associated equipment. Each item was valued at approximately £75,000, with total seizures exceeding £750,000. The four individuals arrested have since been released under investigation.

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 from the operation.

During the operation, officers shut down the servers on site. Sky confirmed that widespread disruption affected their illegal streaming output across the UK. The impact demonstrates the tangible effect of coordinated enforcement on protecting consumers and the creative industries.

This operation is a clear example of effective collaboration between industry and law enforcement to disrupt organised financial crime. The scale and sophistication of the infrastructure uncovered, highlights the ongoing need for vigilance as the television industry celebrate another century of innovation.

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 said: 

“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.”

One of the illegal servers taken down by PIPCU