Eight arrested in connection with illegal distribution of television channels in Spain

National Police officers have dismantled a criminal organisation allegedly dedicated to the fraudulent distribution of television channels in Spain. The operation has resulted in the arrest of eight people, with one detained in Alhaurín de la Torre (Malaga). They are accused of crimes of belonging to a criminal organisation and against intellectual property. Three people were arrested in Alicante, three others in Valladolid and one in Seville, according to the police.

The organisation had a high degree of technological specialisation, which allowed them to remotely manage clients who contracted audiovisual sports content, police sources told Europa Press. More than 18,300 people contracted these services, which were managed from operational centres in the provinces of Alicante and Seville. Financial losses were suffered by the holders of the broadcasting rights for the multimedia content.

The police investigation began in February 2022 when the criminal organisation was identified as providing fraudulent multimedia content, from two operational centres in Spain, through IPTV (Internet Protocol Television). The gang installed illegal applications on TV boxes, smart TVs and smartphones, to its clients, allowing them to access films, series, and sporting events for a fee which was much lower than the market price.

The criminal organisation offered the illegal services through a telecommunications consultancy company with a slick marketing structure. The members of the criminal network were located in the provinces of Alicante, Malaga and Valladolid. They marketed the illegal services, maximising client number of clients and, consequently, causing serious economic damage to the victims, according to the National Police.

Officers said that both the members of this dismantled criminal organisation and those who contracted their under-investigation services caused damage to the victims through loss of income.

Four searches and raids took place in Alicante, Valladolid, Malaga and Seville provinces, with two targeting the operational centres where the IT infrastructure was managed. A large amount of computer equipment was seized, including tablets, smartphones and file storage devices.