UK Man, 68, Jailed Over $1.3M Illegal IPTV Streaming Operation

A 68-year-old man has been sentenced to more than six years in prison in the U.K. for running an illegal IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) operation that generated £980,812 (roughly $1.3 million) over a three-year period.

The Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), part of the City of London Police, led the investigation into Milan Ibrahim, who authorities say operated what they described as a “sophisticated operation” serving customers in the U.K. and internationally. The service resold pirated broadcasts from major rights holders including the BBC, ITV, Sky, the Premier League and the Motion Picture Association.

80 Servers Seized

According to City of London Police, the illegal streaming business ran on 80 servers located at premises in Chorley. Enforcement action resulted in the seizure and shutdown of all 80 servers, cutting off the streams delivered to the service’s subscribers.

Investigators say the server seizures could also help identify individual users of the pirate IPTV service, who may face fines or other legal consequences for funding and participating in copyright infringement. Ibrahim will additionally face Proceeds of Crime Act proceedings aimed at clawing back the money the operation generated.

Industry Reaction

Stefan Sergot, Director of Legal Enforcement at the Premier League, called the operation “significant,” describing the shuttered service as one of the U.K.’s most prominent and long-standing suppliers of pirate streaming content.

U.K. corporate records show Ibrahim was previously a director of CTU Systems, a now-dissolved company that had marketed IPTV software. Authorities have not linked CTU Systems to the illegal streaming service at the center of this prosecution.

The Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) also participated in the enforcement action. This case underscores the growing willingness of U.K. law enforcement to pursue long-running piracy operations with substantial prison sentences and asset recovery efforts, rather than treating illegal IPTV services as a low-priority offense.