Four individuals have been arrested by police as the crackdown on ‘dodgy Fire Sticks’ continues.
Following repeated alerts from the Premier League, there has been a major focus on tackling illegal streaming in recent times, particularly ‘dodgy’ Fire Sticks, which unlawfully give fans access to major TV channels.
The practice has become a major problem in sports. It was reported last year that at least 20 million people illegally watched Tyson Fury’s first fight with Oleksandr Usyk in May 2024, costing broadcasters a reported £80million in revenue, while pirate streams of top-flight matches are regularly viewed via this method.
Multiple people have subsequently been arrested and prosecuted for selling or using the devices, and according to The Athletic, police recently made further progress.
In a report, the outlet claims four men were arrested on suspicion of being part of an illegal sports-streaming gang.
The gang was said to be making hundreds of thousands pounds a year by operating throughout the UK.
Police undertook raids at four different properties across West Yorkshire in the final week of October – and the quartet were taken in for alleged copyright and money-laundering offences.
Specialist high-tech crime officers were said to seize digital devices and a fifth individual attended a police station for interview by his own volition in the aftermath of the raids.
The report goes on to add that the investigation began with one of the suspects after authorities believed they were selling illegal streaming services to the public.
Subsequent analysis of the bank account of the individual then found links with a wider group of IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) resellers.
This led to three other individuals being discovered, with the trio suspected to be part of an organised crime gang alongside another man who is linked to the operation.
The report claims those three individuals allegedly all had their own networks, where several sellers were working underneath them.
Profits for the practice were estimated to be hundreds of thousands of pounds.
All four suspects were released after their interviews, pending further investigation.
