Police authorities across 14 countries, including Italy, the UK, the Netherlands, and China, have successfully taken down one of the largest pirate streaming networks in the world, known as Taken Down. This network catered to over 22 million users globally, generating a monthly income of more than €250 million. The illegal service caused an estimated damage of €10 billion per year.
The content offered through this network included popular platforms such as Sky, Dazn, Netflix, and Disney+, among others. Users were provided with illegal broadcasts of IPTV, direct streams, and on-demand content through various streaming sites, while the domains of these streaming services remained undisclosed.
An extensive network of distributors and intermediaries was involved in the selling of pirate content, with subscriptions being offered through sites, forums, and social media groups. Following the operation, over 2,500 illegal channels and servers were shut down, including 9 servers located in Romania and Hong Kong, which played a significant role in the distribution of illegal content in Europe.
The investigation, which lasted 2 years, revealed that the network was under the control of a transnational organization with a well-defined hierarchical structure. Three main administrators of the IT infrastructure were identified in England and the Netherlands, while 80 streaming control panels for IPTV channels were traced back to Italy.
During the operation, individuals involved in the network utilized encrypted communication applications, forged documents, and fictitious identities to evade law enforcement. The arrested individuals face charges related to illegal broadcasting of audiovisual content, unauthorized system access, computer fraud, and money laundering.
In total, 89 searches were conducted across 15 regions of Italy, with an additional 14 raids carried out outside the country. Croatian police apprehended 11 suspects as part of the international effort, leading to the seizure of cryptocurrency worth over €1.65 million and €40,000 in cash.