Major police crackdown blocks thousands more UK households from streaming Sky TV for free

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Illegal streams generated almost £1million in profits for the 68-year-old behind the operation

Police just put a major illicit streaming operation out of action. Thousands who relied on streams from this illegal service, which was run out of Lancashire, will now be left staring at blank screens — with no recourse for refunds.

The man behind the illicit operation was jailed for over six years after making almost £1 million through the sale of illegal IPTV services. For those who don't know, IPTV stands for Internet Protocol Television, a method of delivering broadcasts over a broadband connection, rather than via a traditional aerial, satellite dish, or cable.

With just a Wi-Fi connection, you can watch live television, including free-to-air and paid-for channels, via smartphone apps or devices like Smart TVs, Fire TV Stick, or Freely set-top boxes.

IPTV doesn't necessarily refer to an illicit streaming operation. But some refer to illegal streaming services, which offer access to copyright-protected material for free or at a significantly discounted rate, using this terminology.

Milan Ibrahim, 68, of Chorley, was found guilty of conspiracy to defraud at Preston Crown Court. He was sentenced to 6.5 years' imprisonment for running an illegal streaming business that generated £980,812 in criminal profits.

Mr Ibrahim now faces further proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act, which will seek to recover the funds he made from selling illegal streaming subscriptions to customers around the world. The operation to shut down Mr Ibrahim's £1 million streaming operation was led by the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at the City of London Police.

Police from this specialist unit claim that shuttering the Lancashire operation has disrupted thousands of illegal streams accessed across the UK.

Mr Ibrahim unlawfully captured and redistributed television broadcasts from major rights holders, including the BBC, ITV, Sky, Premier League and the Motion Pictures Association. He then converted the content into formats suitable for IPTV streaming and sold subscriptions to customers worldwide. Mr Ibrahim sold subscriptions to customers in the UK and abroad, with British expats living overseas making up a major portion of his client base.

These subscriptions significantly undercut legitimate packages from Sky TV, Virgin Media TV, EE TV, and other providers, unlocking access to premium channels and on-demand content, like Premier League matches, Hollywood blockbusters, and critically-acclaimed boxsets.

The investigation revealed that the business operated on 80 servers from premises in Chorley and generated £980,812 over a three-year period. Officers from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit seized and shut down all 80 servers, significantly disrupting the operation's ability to provide illegal streaming services.

Investigation Officer Emma Slater, who serves as part of the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit, inside the City of London Police, said: "It is important that PIPCU pursues criminals who seek to profit from the supply of illegal IPTV services. These offenders show complete disregard for rights holders and the actors, creative artists, technical specialists and support staff involved in producing the content they unlawfully distribute.

"Illegal IPTV is not a victimless crime. The financial harm caused by these services impacts the entire creative industry. PIPCU will continue to pursue those involved in the provision of illegal IPTV services, both in the UK and internationally. We work closely with industry partners and law enforcement agencies around the world to identify, disrupt and prosecute offenders."

Anyone who accesses illegal TV streaming services is potentially liable to prosecution for criminal offences, including under Section 11 of the Fraud Act 2006. This law permits an unlimited fine and a prison sentence of up to five years for those who are found guilty of “obtaining services dishonestly”.

Investigations Manager at Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), Nick Sumner said: "Today’s sentence holds Milan Ibrahim to account for selling unlawful access to premium television content. Illegal streaming services undermine the broadcasters and rights holders that invest in creating and distributing that content.

"Having identified the illegal service, FACT referred it to PIPCU for investigation. This outcome sends a clear message: running an illegal streaming service is a criminal offence with serious consequences."

Diane Hamer, who works at BBC Studios, has spoken out about the broader impact of these types of crimes on licence fee payers across the UK, stating: "We thank PIPCU for pursuing this case so diligently. Piracy is not a victimless crime. Those responsible contribute nothing to the creation or broadcast of television programmes. Their actions not only deprive the UK’s creative industries of vital revenue, impacting creators, businesses, and professionals who rely on the protection of intellectual property rights, but also impacts licence fee payers. This conviction sends a clear message that such activity has real consequences."

Matt Hibbert, Group Director Anti-Piracy at Sky said: "This case highlights the persistence, dedication and close collaboration required to tackle sophisticated criminal IPTV operations. We commend the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit and all partners involved for their commitment to bringing this offender to justice.

“Illegal streaming services cause harm to consumers and profit from content in which broadcasters, rights holders and creators invest heavily. Sky will continue working with partners to disrupt piracy, protect consumers and safeguard the content our customers love."

The operation in Lancashire is the latest in a string of tough action taken against the rise of illicit streaming in the UK. The Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) sent text messages and emails to over 1,000 people in the UK, warning them to "immediately cease using illegal TV streaming services or face the risk of prosecution."

FACT wants its latest campaign to remind Britons that they're not anonymous online and that watching unauthorised content carries serious risks.

Amazon has also issued a software update that blocks Fire TV viewers from downloading and installing illicit apps that would never be approved in the official App Store. Known as sideloading, this is the technique used to equip these low-cost gadgets with the ability to watch copyright-protected content at a reduced cost — or even free of charge. Anyone who attempts to sideload on Fire TV will now be met with an error message.

Last year, in Stockton-on-Tees, a 52-year-old man was arrested under suspicion of being involved in an entirely separate illegal streaming operation first uncovered by the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit.

This flurry of activity from police was followed by confirmation from Merseyside Police Cyber Crime Unit that a 41-year-old man from Liverpool was handed a two-year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to charges of promoting and selling modified Fire TV Sticks that offered access to paid-for films, TV shows, and live Premier League matches. Police officers have previously spoken about the need to "send clear message" to those watching free illegal streams on Amazon's bestselling Fire TV Sticks.