Irish police have shut down an illegal IPTV operation following a raid on a residential property in Galway on February 6, 2026. The operation, aimed at curbing illegal TV streaming and money-laundering offences, demonstrated a growing trend among law enforcement of targeting the infrastructure behind unlicensed streaming services.
Police in Ireland have shut down an illegal IPTV operation and seized electronic devices linked to the distribution of unlicensed streaming content. About 200 accounts linked to pirated IPTV content were also deactivated. According to a police press statement, the search was a coordinated operation involving the Galway County West Crime Unit, the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau.
Officers from the three law enforcement departments searched a residential property in Rahoon, Galway City. The search was part of an ongoing investigation into illegal TV streaming and suspected money-laundering offenses.
Although no arrests have been made, the police will prepare a file for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
As part of an operation targeting illegal TV streaming services and money laundering offenses, Gardaí searched a residential property in Galway City on Friday, 6th February, 2026. Electronic devices were seized, and almost 200 accounts believed to be linked to an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) streaming service were shut down. No arrests have been made at this time. A file will be prepared for the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
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Authorities Increasingly Targeting Unlicensed IPTV Operators and Infrastructure
Authorities have increasingly shifted their fight against piracy from seizing domains to targeting illegal IPTV operators and the infrastructure that powers their streaming networks. The police are working together with content owners and anti-piracy organizations to identify and dismantle the technical backbone of these services- the servers, payment systems, and account databases.
Content owners like Sky and industry coalitions like the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) have been tracing unauthorized streams and server sources, then providing this intelligence to the police. A few weeks ago, the City of London police raided a property in Manchester and seized servers linked to a £3 million illegal IPTV operation, following a complaint from Sky.
This coordinated enforcement model, combining police cybercrime units, rights holders, financial investigators, and industry coalitions, points to a heightened fight against piracy. While IPTV subscribers haven’t been targeted so far, the new enforcement model could lead to more service disruptions and instability.
What’s Next for The IPTV Landscape?
The Galway operation is one of many anti-piracy operations emerging across Europe and other parts of the world. It demonstrated the wider shift in how authorities are dealing with illegal streaming services. Instead of focusing on the end users and streaming platforms, law enforcement is targeting the operators behind these criminal operations and the infrastructure of their streaming networks.
They are also following the money, with most suspects caught in money-laundering investigations.
The collaboration between broadcasters, rightsholders, anti-piracy organizations, and the police is a strong enforcement model. Through these coordinated operations, the operational core of illegal streaming services is being shaken. This strategy looks more promising than targeting illegal apps and websites.
As piracy-fighting strategies continue to evolve, there will be a push-and-pull among third-party streaming services, rights holders, and consumer demand. This struggle will shape the IPTV and streaming landscape.
For consumers, this means a likely shift in the market and a changing debate over piracy, digital streaming, and affordability.
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