Italian police seize illegal pay-TV platform
July 20, 2020
From Branislav Pekic in Rome
The Financial Police in the city of Venice have dismantled a criminal organisation dedicated to the online sale of subscriptions for the illegal viewing of the major pay-TV platforms.
The platform was accessed by over 65,000 end customers, who paid €10 per month, using special Postepay cards.
The investigation revealed that the payment cards were managed by 11 people, who replaced them at least once a month to make it more difficult to identify the holder.
The total amounts credited by customers to the payment cards was quantified at €1 million per year, which were, on several occasions, transferred to a Lithuanian current account and to bank accounts in Italy in the name of the card managers.
The operation resulted in search warrants for 71 people in 32 Italian provinces and the blocking of 11 Postepay cards.
This is the latest of a series of initiatives against piracy that the Serie A football league has been undertaking for over a year.