£1m IPTV empire crumbles as illegal streamer jailed and unlawful Premier League servers shut down
There's been another significant crackdown in the illegal streaming chain.
Hailing from Chorley, 68-year-old Milan Ibrahim was sentenced to 6.5 years behind bars yesterday (August 27) at Preston Crown Court on the grounds of conspiracy to defraud.
His IPTV empire, which redistributed TV broadcasts from Sky, BBC, TNT Sports, the Premier League and many more to its considerable bank of subscribers over the past three years, is believed to have generated close to £1 million in profits.
An investigation led by the City of London's Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) found that 80 servers were operating from a premises in Chorley.
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Suffice it to say, but those criminal servers were immediately seized and shut down, majorly disrupting Ibrahim's services.
He now faces proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act to recover funds obtained via the sale of IPTV material.
PIPCU detective inspector Emma Warbey had this to say on the matter: "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."
Investigations manager at the Federation Against Counterfeit Trade (FACT), Nick Sumner, highlighted how services such as Ibrahim's can rock the delicate equilibrium of entertainment productions.
He shared in a statement: "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."
Meanwhile, Stefan Sergot of Premier League Legal will be a relieved man, considering the illegal streaming of sports products is IPTV's biggest draw.
"This is a significant outcome against one of the UK's most prominent and long-standing suppliers of pirate services," he commented.
"Milan Ibrahim repeatedly sold content belonging to the Premier League and other rights holders for his own financial gain. His sentence reflects the seriousness of his offending and sends a clear message that those who profit from piracy will ultimately be held accountable.
"We are extremely grateful to PIPCU and FACT for their determination and expertise in bringing him to justice."
Topics: Crime, Technology, Amazon
Dan Seddon