Police bust illegal streaming operation

Police announced on Monday the arrest of two men suspected of running a system to illegally provide subscription-based television services to over 1,400 subscribers.

The Cybercrime Prosecution Directorate is preparing a case file against the two men for violating intellectual property laws.

Acting on a complaint, police conducted a detailed investigation, during which an electronics store in Athens, owned by one of the perpetrators, was searched. Police found a computer with a subscriber management panel for the illegal service, which contained 1,465 user registrations, of which 818 were active.

Subscribers to the service, which has been operating for at least 11 months, paid at least 10 euros a month.

Police estimate that the suspects made at least 8,180 euros a month from the service. An expert from an industry group that works to protect audiovisual copyright told police that the illegal operation was worth up to 314,930 euros to a specific subscription company in lost earnings.

The investigation continues.