Arrests made as Garda operation targets illegal tv streaming
By Mark Keane
Four people were arrested following searches of two houses in Crumlin and Ashbourne by Gardai as part of an operation targeting illegal tv streaming.
Gardai from the Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PCU) of the Garden National Bureau of Criminal Investigation conducted the searches yesterday morning, September 11.
According to a Garda statement released today: “Four people (two women aged 37 and 40 years and two men aged 42 and 45 years) were arrested and detained under Section 4 - Criminal Justice Act, 1984 in Crumlin and Ashbourne Garda Stations and were later released.
“They were arrested for offences under the Copyright and Related Rights Act, 2000, and the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act, 2010."
The operation is the culmination of a Garda investigation into the illegal streaming of TV content including pay per view products, which has been carried out in conjunction with police forces in England and Scotland.
Gardai also received assistance from Europol, who had officers on the ground with Gardai, as well as “significant support” from some of the major TV companies and the Motion Picture Association.
As part of the operation, according to the Garda statement: “Six bank accounts and two credit union accounts have been identified and freezing orders pursuant to Money Laundering legislation have been invoked, in total €84,000 frozen.
“In addition, nine third party payment accounts have been identified and limited.”
The Garda statement added that over €700k in total has been paid into these accounts in the last three years.
Speaking yesterday, Detective Superintendent George Kyne of the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation said: “This is an organised criminal enterprise where consumers are funding criminality and depriving genuine industry of legitimate revenue.
“Consumers are providing their payment details to unknown individuals and leaving themselves open to being the victims of fraud and/or data theft.”
TAGS news
