Another illegal IPTV operation has been shut down after multiple raids in Greece. The country’s law enforcement have filed criminal cases against a dozen members of the organization and are investigating 43 of the services’ customers, according to Torrent Freak.
The raids — carried out in areas of Attica, Ilia, Thessaloniki, Kozani, and Crete — resulted in nine “key members” of the operation being arrested. That is not new as owners of IPTV services have been targets of law enforcement for years now. What is new is that subscribers are now also becoming targets of law enforcement efforts to stop piracy.
The takedown is the latest in the ongoing war international agencies and law enforcement are waging against pirated IPTV providers. With dozens of streaming services available and their prices rising, illegal streaming isn’t likely to subside, despite crackdowns, arrests, and investigations — which feel like an everyday occurrence.
The operation is estimated to have had 2,000 subscribers minimum. Of those customers, Greek police estimate that each customer was able to avoid paying about 210 euros (about $226) for legal services, costing streaming companies upwards of 2,240,000 euros ($2,240,000).
Officials seized 52,915 euros in cash (about $56,973), 41 “online receivers,” 24 mobile phones, 46 bank cards, 22 hard disks, 11 computers, six SIM cards, five tablet devices, three USB flash drives, customer lists, and a wireless router.
The individuals face charges of formation, management, membership of a criminal organization, intellectual property law violation, offenses against subscription services, and weapons offense, according to the report.