• Subscribe to our Daily News Emails
  • Advertise
    • Media Info
    • Terms & Conditions for Advertisers
    • Mechanical Data

Broadband TV News

Independent. Since 2003

  • Home
  • News Line
    • Central & East Europe
    • People
  • TV
    • On Demand/VOD
    • IPTV
    • Cable
    • Satellite
    • Terrestrial
    • Distribution
  • Business
  • Tech
  • Events
    • Events Diary
    • BTN Events
    • Events Coverage
    • Submit the details of your event
  • Features
  • Resources
    • White Papers

Police raid Glasgow properties in illegal set-top probe

June 3, 2016 09.40 Europe/London By Julian Clover

Police CarPolice Scotland have raided two properties in Glasgow as part of an investigation into the sale of illegal TV boxes to the UK licensed trade.

The criminal operation is estimated to have cost broadcasters more than £40 million across the UK over the past eight years.

For the past 16 months Police Scotland has been working with investigators from the Federation of Copyright Theft (FACT) to identify the source of the illegal operation based in Glasgow but with a network across Scotland and the UK.

Support has also come from the English Premier League as well as Sky and BT.

Chief Inspector David Pettigrew said: “The scale of this operation is significant, with an estimated 500 pubs involved but this could really be just be the tip of the iceberg.

“This illegal production scheme has been carried out in other areas across the UK but this is undoubtedly the biggest operation of its kind in the world in terms of recovery.

Pubs are attracted to the modified receivers that receive streams of overseas pay-TV broadcasts because of the perceived high cost of subscriptions to Sky and BT.

Kieron Sharp, Director General of the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) said: “Pub landlords, as well as the general public, need to be aware of IPTV and set-top boxes with apps and add-ons allowing the streaming of pirated TV, sports and films are very much illegal.

Although no arrests have been made at present, officers will be reviewing the seized material and running an investigation to identify those responsible.

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp

Related

Filed Under: Editor's Choice, Newsline, Tech Tagged With: BT, FACT, Police Scotland, Sky Edited: 6 June 2016 11:12

Avatar photo

About Julian Clover

Julian Clover is a Media and Technology journalist based in Cambridge, UK. He works in online and printed media. Julian is also a voice on local radio. You can talk to Julian on X @julianclover, or by email at jclover@broadbandtvnews.com.

Latest News

  • Amazon wins out in Prime Video subscriber lawsuit
  • Telenor to sell Allente stake to Viaplay
  • SES Completes Acquisition of Intelsat
  • Viaplay and TV 2 Norway to share football rights 
  • MainStreaming supports DAZN free-to-view Club World Cup telecast 

Most Popular

  • Deltatre to acquire Endeavor Streaming
    Deltatre to acquire Endeavor Streaming
  • RTLzwei and Warner Bros. Discovery plan joint advertising sales house
    RTLzwei and Warner Bros. Discovery plan joint advertising sales house
  • HbbTV Enables Secure Content Delivery with New DRM Specification
    HbbTV Enables Secure Content Delivery with New DRM Specification
  • BBC’s response to global news events drives audience growth
    BBC’s response to global news events drives audience growth
  • Telenor to sell Allente stake to Viaplay
    Telenor to sell Allente stake to Viaplay
  • New EBU Digital Committee chair wants collective response to Big Tech
    New EBU Digital Committee chair wants collective response to Big Tech
  • Amazon wins out in Prime Video subscriber lawsuit
    Amazon wins out in Prime Video subscriber lawsuit

White Paper

SES Completes Acquisition of Intelsat

Luxembourg-based SES has completed its acquisition of Intelsat, creating a combined expanded fleet of 120 satellites across two orbits. … [Download the White Paper ...]

Broadband TV News

  • Subscribe
  • About us
  • Contacts
  • Logos & Pictures
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions

Advertising

  • Media Info
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Mechanical Data
  • Video Services

News

  • Latest
  • Central & East Europe
  • TV
  • Tech
  • Streaming
  • Cable
  • Satellite
  • Terrestrial
  • IPTV
  • Business
  • People

Events

  • Events Diary
  • BTN Events
  • Submit the details of your event
  • Media Meet & Greet

Editorial

PO Box 499
Cambridge
United Kingdom
CB1 0AH
news@broadbandtvnews.com

Commercial

Arundel View Cottage
Wepham
West Sussex
BN18 9RA
sales@broadbandtvnews.com

Connect with Us

 

Copyright © 2025 Broadband TV News LLP · Log in

 

Loading Comments...
 

    We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.