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PIPCU

Manchester: PIPCU shuts down illegal streaming operation

Officers from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police have executed warrants in Manchester, 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 investigation began after Sky reported suspicious activity linked to a large scale illicit […]

February 2, 2026

Arrest in Denbigh pirate IPTV case

Officers from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), supported by North Wales Police, have executed a search warrant at a property in Denbigh, Wales, as part of an ongoing investigation into the sale of illegal IPTV services. During the operation, a 33-year-old man was arrested at the address on suspicion of copyright offences and […]

January 16, 2026By Colin Mann

Study: 40% illegal streamers hit by financial fraud

Consumers are risking thousands of pounds by accessing content illegally online while saving as little as £13 (€14.77) a month, new research reveals. The study, by BeStreamWise, a cross-industry initiative which aims to raise awareness of the dangers of illegal streaming, reveals the false economy of watching pirated material through unofficial sources such as illegal […]

November 12, 2025By Colin Mann

Hitchin man jailed over illegal streaming service

A man has been sentenced to three years in prison following an investigation into an illegal streaming service that offered cheap access to premium TV channels and on-demand content. Nishan Silva, aged 34 of Blackhorse Lane, Hitchin, was linked to the management and facilitation of an illicit streaming service operating under the names Andy UTV […]

October 7, 2025

York Court issues jail terms for illegal streamers

A man who pocketed £1 million (€1.15m) by running three illegal streaming websites has been jailed. Stephen Woodward sold illegal access to copyrighted content through the websites IPTV Hosting, Helix Hosting and Black and White TV. He used the funds to buy designer clothes and jewellery, holidays and a Jaguar F-Type V8 coupe worth £91,000. His […]

July 14, 2025By Colin Mann

Midlands arrests for illegal Sky streaming

Two people in their 30s have been arrested in connection with an investigation into an illegal streaming service. Detectives from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police executed search warrants at two residential addresses in Oldbury and a data centre in Cheltenham on July 3rd. They arrested both a 30-year-old […]

July 7, 2025

Jail term for illegal streamer

A man who pocketed £300,000 (€352,000) through the operation of an illegal streaming service before he fled the UK has been sentenced to five years in prison. Mark Brockley ran a subscription-based IPTV service known as aFINITY IPTV for around five years, between 2014 and 2019. He was involved in the promotion, sale, and distribution […]

June 26, 2025By Colin Mann

UK agencies in modified Fire Stick action

The Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police executed a week of action, carrying out interviews across the country as part of a crackdown on the supply of illegal streaming services, with a focus on individuals selling modified Fire Sticks. The operation, in conjunction with FACT and the Premier League, targeted […]

March 5, 2024By Colin Mann

Jail term for fugitive IPTV reseller

A man who made over £200,000 (€229,500) by reselling an IPTV service that enabled people to watch premium television content without a subscription has been jailed for five years. Mark Brockley, from Liverpool in the northwest of England, made £237,000 by selling subscriptions that enabled the illegal streaming of content hosted by BT Sport, including […]

May 9, 2023By Colin Mann

4 arrests in illegal streaming crackdown

The Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police and its partners have executed a series of raids across the country as part of a crackdown on the supply of illegal streaming services. Officers searched four premises in London, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Stoke and four people were arrested on suspicion of involvement […]

March 2, 2023By Colin Mann