In a dramatic conclusion to a seven-year saga of digital piracy, two brothers from Ilford have been handed hefty prison sentences for orchestrating a massive illegal streaming operation that left legitimate TV providers reeling.
Amir Butt, 56, and his younger brother Ammar Hussain, 39, were found guilty of conspiracy to defraud, culminating in a combined 11-year stint behind bars.
Their illicit operation, which ran from August 2012 to March 2019, offered cut-price access to premium television content, including coveted Sky TV packages.
The Ilford Streaming Kings
Operating under the names Tech & Sat Ltd., Techsat, and Tech+ Sat, the brothers ran their fraudulent scheme from two locations in Ilford – Butt’s home on Grange Road and a shop on Cranbrook Road.
For a £200 annual subscription, customers could access a vast library of sports and entertainment content.
This bargain-basement pricing strategy attracted thousands of subscribers, generating hundreds of thousands of pounds in revenue for the brothers while bleeding legitimate TV providers of over £1 million in potential lost revenue.
The Fall of A Streaming Empire
The brothers’ digital empire came crashing down in March 2019 when their activities caught the attention of Sky, thanks to the vigilance of FACT (Federation Against Copyright Theft).
In a coordinated swoop, police and Trading Standards officers from the London Borough of Redbridge executed search warrants at the brothers’ shop and two residential addresses.
Butt was apprehended at his home, while Hussain was nabbed at their shop. The raids unearthed a substantial haul of equipment, including Sky set-top boxes and viewing cards, alongside a cache of cash – all destined for forensic analysis.
The trial, which kicked off in September 2023, ran for four weeks. Butt failed to show up but was found guilty in absentia.
On September 21, 2023, he was sentenced to seven years in prison at Snaresbrook Crown Court.
Hussain, who did attend his trial, received his four-year sentence on August 13.
Kieron Sharp, CEO of FACT, hailed the verdicts as both punishment and deterrent: “Piracy is not a victimless crime. It weakens the creative industries, reduces opportunities for producing future content, and puts significant profits into the hands of criminals.”
Matt Hibbert, Sky’s Group Director of Anti-Piracy, echoed these sentiments, stating, “Today’s sentencing highlights the significant consequences for those that get involved in illegally streaming content.”
Sasha Taylor, Head of Community Protection and Licensing at Redbridge Council, added a local perspective: “Our Trading Standards department have played a pivotal role in this case, meticulously gathering supporting evidence and presenting a solid and robust case.
“This prosecution sends out an unequivocal message that we will come down hard on those who try to undercut legitimate businesses with illegal activity.”
IPTV And The Risks of Illegal Streaming Services
Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) is the technology behind streaming services that deliver television content over the internet.
While legitimate services like Netflix, Disney+, and BBC iPlayer all use this technology, the term “IPTV” has unfortunately become associated with illegal streaming operations.
Illegal IPTV services, like the one run by the Ilford brothers, offer unauthorised access to premium content at suspiciously low prices.
These services often use modified streaming devices, such as “jailbroken” Amazon Fire TV Sticks or Sky boxes, loaded with custom software to bypass normal licensing and subscription models.
While the allure of cheap access to premium content is strong, using these services comes with significant risks—legal consequences, malware risks, and even financial fraud, with some operators being fronts for financial scams.
Remember, if a streaming offer seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Recent IPTV Crackdowns in the UK
This recent case is part of a larger trend of law enforcement actions against illegal IPTV operations in the UK:
The Widnes Firestick Raid: In July 2024, the Cheshire Police Cyber Crime Unit arrested a 51-year-old man in Widnes for allegedly selling modified Amazon Fire TV Sticks and other streaming devices.
The early morning raid uncovered a substantial cache of evidence, including modified streaming devices, computers, phones, digital satellite television boxes, cryptocurrency, and cash. The suspect was arrested on suspicion of multiple offences, including fraud and possession of criminal property.
The £1 Million Firestick Premier League Scheme: In October 2023, Steven Mills from Shrewsbury received a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence for operating an illegal streaming service that made £1 million over five years.
His operation used custom apps on Amazon Fire TV devices to illegally stream Premier League matches to over 30,000 subscribers.
The £500,000 Liverpool Bust: In June 2024, Kevin James O’Donnell from Liverpool received a two-year suspended sentence for promoting and selling illegally modified Amazon Fire TV Sticks.
His operation generated over £130,000 in revenue, defrauding content owners of more than half a million pounds.
The £800,000 Sky TV Streaming Scheme: In another major case, the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) dismantled an £800,000 illegal IPTV operation providing unauthorised access to Sky TV packages.
This operation led to the arrest of two individuals and the seizure of a significant amount of cash and custom streaming devices.
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