Operator of Digital TV IPTV Service Raided by Cybercrime Unit

By iptv.legal , in News , at July 23, 2023

A cybercrime unit has raided the operators behind the Digital TV IPTV service following a DirecTV piracy complaint.

A legal complaint lodged by DirecTV in Argentina has instigated police action against the supposed controllers of Digital TV, a pirated IPTV platform believed to serve around 85,000 customers.

The operation was directed by a local cybercrime unit under the guidance of a local prosecutor, unmasking a 22-year-old IT professional as the brain behind the service.

Not only is the individual now known to the authorities, but the wider public has also been made aware of him through local media exposure, with Canal26 even airing images of the suspect to their 4.5 million viewers.

The Alliance Against Pay Television Piracy (Allianz) appointed Jorge Bacaloni, the Regional Anti-Piracy Manager of Vrio Corp — a conglomerate of DirecTV Latin America, Sky Brasil, and others — as the new president of the organization in January 2023.

Upon taking the position, Bacaloni emphasized the crucial role of public-private partnerships in combating piracy.

He insisted that the entire industry recognize this fight as a shared responsibility and act coordinatedly. Bacaloni recognized Alianza’s significant contribution but asserted it alone could not tackle the rapidly growing criminal network fueled by technological advancements.

Therefore, governments must support the private sector by creating favorable conditions and taking definitive measures to assure legal safety.

While it’s uncertain when DirecTV’s anti-piracy team registered its complaint with Argentine authorities, the effective collaboration Bacaloni advocated in June seems to bear fruit.

Specialist prosecutor Alejandro Musso in Buenos Aires spearheaded the investigation against Digital TV.

This pirated IPTV service reportedly provided around 900 live TV channels, some exclusive to DirecTV in Latin America.

Furthermore, it also boasted an extensive VOD platform with 8,000 movies and 400 TV series. Digital TV offered an enticingly low-cost subscription with live soccer and adult channels.

After obtaining local court authorization, law enforcement conducted raids in Ramos Mejía, Buenos Aires Province, and in Arrecifes and Chivilcoy.

A 22-year-old IT technician was apprehended in Ramos Mejía accused of being the mastermind behind ‘Digital TV.’

According to DirecTV’s preliminary investigations, the service had roughly 85,000 subscribers, and the associated app, downloadable from a leading virtual store, had been downloaded over 100,000 times.

DirecTV added that the court immediately ordered the app’s blockage due to significant financial losses experienced by rightsholders as a result of piracy.

Local media outlet La Nacion identified the suspect as Martin Coll, who is allegedly just one member of a larger piracy network operating throughout Latin America.

The police managed to track down Coll by tracing his online IP addresses. In addition to the useful IP evidence, the Digital TV Android app available on Google Play also revealed the perpetrator’s identity within minutes of downloading.

Upon arresting Coll, the media didn’t hesitate to publicize his full name and photographs, including images of him handcuffed post-arrest.

Local TV channel Canal26 broadcasted images of the suspect to its 4.5 million subscribers nationwide.

With the genie out of the bottle, it’s not going back in. In the meantime, reports suggest the accused is keeping silent and refusing to answer any inquiries.

Authorities have reportedly identified two more individuals believed to be involved in reselling the service.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen notable IPTV services get into legal trouble or even shut down.

For more information on this story, you can view the report on TorrentFreak and the original press release on Canal 26 News.

You can also refer to the video below.

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