Police forces from ten countries joined forces in a significant operation targeting what is believed to be the world’s largest piracy network.

Raids took place in the UK, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, and Romania as part of Operation Takendown. This criminal network reportedly provided pirated content to over 22 million users across Europe, generating an estimated €250 million in illegal monthly revenue.

Supported by the Audiovisual Anti-Piracy Alliance (AAPA), the operation led to the seizure of €1.65 million in cryptocurrency, approximately €40,000 in cash, and 11 arrests, with 102 additional individuals under investigation.

The two-year investigation, coordinated with Europol, involved monitoring illegal streaming forums and social media. Europol noted additional criminal activities, including money laundering and cybercrime. Authorities seized 29 servers, hundreds of IPTV devices, and shut down around 100 domains hosting illegal streams.

Mark Mulready, AAPA’s co-president, commented, “The scale of these multi-jurisdictional law enforcement actions highlights the considerable challenge our industry faces when dealing with such sophisticated international pirate networks. We are proud to have collaborated with our law enforcement partners to provide technical training and in-field support to assist them in successfully tackling the world’s largest pirate network.”

Matt Hibbert, Sky’s anti-piracy director, stated, “This sends a strong message that, alongside our partners, we are committed to dismantling pirate networks across borders and holding their ringleaders accountable. We will continue supporting efforts to end digital piracy and protect consumers from the risks of these illegal services.”

The coordinated crackdown resulted in the shutdown of servers powering the illegal service, seizures of equipment, and arrests of key individuals involved in the network. Authorities revealed that the piracy operation caused immense financial harm to legitimate broadcasters and rights holders, amounting to millions of euros in losses annually.

This operation underscores the growing threat of IPTV piracy, where unauthorized streaming platforms exploit digital technologies to distribute copyrighted content. The crackdown serves as a reminder that such activities are not only illegal but also carry severe penalties for operators and users alike.

Rights holders and broadcasters have praised the operation, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding intellectual property. Efforts to combat piracy continue to intensify, with legal actions and technological measures aimed at disrupting similar networks and protecting the creative industries.