Man arrested over illegal Sky streaming packages

A man has been arrested on suspicion of selling illegal streaming packages which provide access to Sky channels.

The 38-year-old was detained at a home in Wolverhampton on Tuesday on suspicion of copyright and money laundering offences and has since been released under investigation.

He was suspected to have sold illegal streaming packages in bulk for others to sell to the public, City of London Police said.

A server used to host the service was also seized during police raids at four business addresses in Wolverhampton and Coventry.

Det Con Daryl Fryatt said illegal streaming was a “huge issue” for the entertainment and creative industries.

“While it may seem like a low-risk, high-reward crime, the proceeds are used to fund other serious forms of criminal activity,” he said.

“At the same time, it can expose end users to the risks of data theft, fraud and malware.”

Matt Hibbert, group director of anti-piracy at Sky, warned people that they risked providing their personal information to criminals when they illegally stream.

"We'll continue to do everything we can to protect our content from theft, and to help keep consumers safe,” he added.

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