Gujarat police probes radicalization, Syria links in ₹700 crore IPTV piracy case
Storyboard18 had first reported that acting on a complaint from Star India, have arrested an alleged kingpin behind an illicit Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) service that attracted roughly five million subscribers
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In a significant development following the recent bust of a ₹700 crore illegal IPTV operation, Gujarat Police are intensifying their investigation into the suspect, for potential involvement in radicalization activities and illicit financial transactions linked to international piracy syndicates based in Syria and Middle East.
Mohammed Murtuza Ali, an app developer from Jalandhar, Punjab, was arrested for allegedly operating "BOS IPTV," an unauthorized streaming service that allegedly reached approximately five million subscribers. The service broadcasted thousands of premium channels, including several Pakistani news and entertainment networks, without authorization.
Gujarat police officers are probing whether Ali's platform was used to disseminate extremist content aimed at radicalizing viewers. The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) will probe the extent to which the unauthorized broadcasting of certain channels may have contributed to spreading radical ideologies within India.
Dharmendra Sharma, Superintendent of Police, Gujarat Cyber Crime Cell told Storyboard18, "The suspect was clearly dealing with Pakistani nationals to distribute content. Radicalisation via distributing such content is we are investigating."
Furthermore, "We want to track down the servers used by the suspect for distributing such illicit content in India. We are investigating further about other persons involved in the matter."
According to Gujarat police, there are potential links between Ali's operations and international syndicates based in Pakistan and Syria and the Middle East. These connections are under scrutiny to determine the extent of foreign involvement in the IPTV service and any associated activities. A officer privy to investigation said, "The accused is a member of the larger syndicate and distributed copyright content via WhatsApp and Telegram."
According to the police, the suspect also broadcasted and streamed advertisements of Pakistani led brands and were actively laundering money via cryptocurrency. The Gujarat police is tracking the money trail for collecting evidence against the suspect.
Storyboard18 had first reported that acting on a complaint from Star India, have arrested an alleged kingpin behind an illicit Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) service that attracted roughly five million subscribers and generated an estimated ₹700 crore (US $84 million) in annual revenue.
The suspect is believed to have streamed thousands of premium linear television channels—including several Pakistani news networks and entertainment serials—without authorization.
The charges invoked include sections 303, 318(4), and 61 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, along with Sections 37, 51, 63, and 65A of the Indian Copyright Act, 1957, and Sections 65, 66, 66B, and 66D of the Information Technology Act, 2000. The police have seized 3 laptops and 2 mobile phones, which were allegedly used to operate and manage the illegal IPTV service.
“This crackdown is a critical milestone in our ongoing fight against piracy,” said a spokesperson at JioStar. “We commend the swift and impactful action by the Cyber Police in Gandhinagar and other agencies involved. At JioStar, we remain steadfast in our commitment to protect our content, partners, and the interests of millions of lawful subscribers. We will not hesitate to take the strongest possible legal action against anyone found engaging in such unlawful activities.”
Storyboard18 had earlier reported that the Law enforcement agencies in the UAE had raided the operations of an alleged rogue Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) provider. The raid resulted in the seizure of IPTV boxes containing 12,000 pirated premium channels and content from various rightsholders.
Disney Star had filed a criminal complaint in UAE against a rogue IPTV provider, primeproott.com, which was selling IPTV boxes through its website. The complaint stated that the rogue operator charged Rs 5,750 for the box and Rs 2,300 for access to the application.
