Crotone, Italy. Italy’s finance police said on Friday they uncovered three illegal broadband TV distribution hubs in Crotone, in the southern Calabria region, reported four suspects, and seized assets worth about €650,000 ($751,900).
Anti-piracy operation
Authorities said the operation was part of efforts to fight digital piracy ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in United States, Canada and Mexico, which opened on Thursday and for which the Italian national team failed to qualify.
Illegal subscription network
The network sold pirated subscriptions that gave access to paid content from platforms including Sky, DAZN, Netflix and Disney+.
The illegal subscriptions cost between €10 and €40 and included customer services.
Users and financial flows
Investigators identified at least 2,769 users. Authorities said illegal proceeds were reinvested into the legal economy and cryptocurrencies to conceal their origin.
Suspects and penalties
The four suspects, all Italian nationals, were reported for copyright violations and self-laundering.
Users face administrative fines ranging from €154 to €5,000, police said.
