Police have launched a fresh crackdown on dodgy Amazon Fire TV sticks, with eight new areas across the UK being targeted.
Illegal Amazon Fire Sticks and ‘dodgy boxes’ are streaming devices that have third-party software installed in them, allowing users to watch premium content from providers such as TNT Sports, Sky Sports and Disney+ for free.
The use of these devices is deemed a ‘serious crime’, and police forces across the UK and Ireland, alongside the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), have been targeting individuals who continue to watch unauthorised content. Sky, who pay billions to the Premier League to show matches, also have their own in-house piracy team.
The latest swoop is part of ‘Operation Eider’, a campaign led by FACT, with 14 more cases identified on November 14, 2025.
The eight areas targeted were: London, South West, North West, North East, Scotland, Wales, Yorkshire and Humber, West Midlands.
Of the 14 cases, 12 individuals received cease-and-desist (C&D) notices, while two were served with C&Ds via knock-and-talk enforcement.
Last year, multiple arrests were made, including a high-profile case involving Jonathan Edge, from Liverpool, who was sentenced to three years and four months for selling Fire Stick devices he reconfigured to allow people to illegally stream Premier League football matches, which he advertised on Facebook.
Edge ignored multiple warnings about the illegal activity, which were referenced by the judge and treated as an aggravating factor in sentencing.
In a separate case last July, 36-year-old Stephen Woodward was jailed for three years after making £1.1 million from three illegal streaming sites over a seven-year period.
He used the funds to buy designer clothes, jewellery, holidays and a Jaguar F-Type V8 coupe worth £91,000. The £1.1m was held in 15 different bank accounts. His brother, Christopher Woodward, received £126,000 derived from the sales of the illegal streaming websites.
Police have warned that the purchasing of Fire Sticks ‘often helps fund organised crime’, and the streaming software installed on the devices often leads to personal information becoming compromised, including banking details.
Detective Sergeant Adam Dagnall of Merseyside Police’s Cybercrime Unit said: ‘Merseyside Police takes illegal streaming seriously because it often helps fund organised crime and puts users at real risk.
‘Not only is it a criminal offence, but the unauthorised streaming services frequently contain malware that can compromise personal devices and lead to the loss of information such as banking details, or be used to commit identity fraud.
‘Legitimate providers have security measures that protect users from these threats. Please don’t be tempted by cheap so-called “fully loaded” or “jailbroken” devices, even as Christmas gifts – you could end up getting more than you bargained for.’
