Police in Europe and the United States say they broke up nine organized crime groups running illegal streaming services and arrested 29 suspects. The seven-month Operation KRATOS 2, led by Bulgaria with Europol support, involved 13 countries and led to the removal of more than 27,000 illegal streaming URLs, identification of 18,000 IP addresses tied to illegal services, 4,370 piracy-linked domains, nearly 400,000 additional URLs flagged for suspension, and 126,000 infringing objects. Investigators say the operators split public-facing sites from backend hosting across jurisdictions to evade takedowns.
Why it matters: People using pirate streaming services are not just risking copyright trouble; Europol says these platforms can also expose users to malware, spyware, and theft of personal data. The story matters because it shows the scale and international reach of the criminal infrastructure behind these services, and affected users should avoid such platforms and check devices for suspicious software if they used them.
Sergiu Gatlan
2026.06.03
100% relevant
This article establishes a distinct new law-enforcement event, Operation KRATOS 2, separate from the previously tracked CINEMAGOAL takedown and other anti-piracy actions because it concerns a broader seven-month multinational crackdown on nine crime groups.
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