Minor held in Andhra Pradesh for running ₹1.6 cr IPTV piracy racket linked to Pakistan

In a startling development, the Andhra Pradesh Police have detained a minor allegedly at the centre of a large-scale IPTV piracy racket with links to a Pakistani handler. The operation, which generated an estimated ₹1.6 crore annually, involved over 10,000 subscribers who paid ₹400 for three-month access to pirated content.

According to police officials, the transactions were routed through cryptocurrency to conceal the money trail. The accused was allegedly offered a “work-from-home” job and subsequently manipulated by a Pakistani handler via Telegram. Investigators believe the handler directed the minor to distribute illegal IPTV links and transfer collected subscription money through crypto channels.

“The accused is a minor and has been detained for questioning,” a senior Andhra Pradesh police officer told Storyboard18. “Preliminary findings suggest the handler based in Pakistan connected with the minor through Telegram and brainwashed him into running the piracy operation.”

The IPTV network streamed Pakistani channels along with premium Indian and international broadcasters, including live sports and entertainment content. Officials said the illegal activity involved impersonating official streaming platforms and using domain names like “Rolex IPTV” to deceive users.

The First Information Report (FIR), filed at the Kalikiri Urban Police Station in Annamayya district on October 8, 2025, lists offences under Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and multiple provisions of the Information Technology Act, including Sections 66C, 66D, and 66. The complaint was lodged by Sarfaraz Ali Sayyed, an anti-piracy investigator with Jiostar Pvt. Ltd., which handles content protection for JioHotstar.

The FIR alleges that the accused broadcasted and monetized copyrighted content, including Star Sports and regional entertainment programming, without authorization. Using mobile internet and broadband connections, the group reportedly built an extensive unauthorized IPTV network, engaging in identity theft, cheating by personation, and large-scale copyright infringement.

The Andhra Pradesh Police are now tracking the money trail and investigating whether more individuals across India are connected to the network. “We are probing possible links between the handler and other operatives who might be running similar modules,” a police source said.

This incident underscores growing cross-border dimensions of digital piracy. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) recently released a consultation paper on strengthening anti-piracy measures amid rising concerns over foreign-linked content theft. Broadcasters have called for a coordinated industry task force to curb the escalating menace, especially as illicit IPTV networks continue to exploit gaps in enforcement and technology.

The case marks another major crackdown on illegal streaming operations targeting India’s fast-growing OTT and sports broadcasting ecosystem — one that increasingly finds itself battling both domestic offenders and cross-border digital crime networks.