Europol has taken part in a major international crackdown on criminal networks making millions from illegal access to premium sports broadcasts, films, and TV channels.
The operation, coordinated by Bulgaria with support from Europol, led to 29 arrests, the dismantling of nine organised crime groups, and the removal of more than 27,000 illegal streaming URLs. Known as Operation KRATOS 2, the seven-month action ran from September 2025 to April 2026 and targeted illegal IPTV services and unauthorised streaming platforms operating across different countries.
According to authorities, these platforms may appear to be a cheap way for users to watch paid content, but organised criminal groups often back them. These networks use complex online systems, keeping customer-facing websites separate from the servers that host the illegal content. They also spread their operations across several countries to make it harder for law enforcement to track and shut them down.
Europol warned that illegal streaming services not only harm copyright owners. They can also expose users to cybersecurity risks, including malware, spyware, data theft, and other forms of online exploitation.
Instead of only taking down websites, investigators focused on the wider criminal infrastructure behind the services. This helped authorities identify suspects, understand how the networks were managed, and collect intelligence on the groups running the platforms.
The operation resulted in 86 suspects being identified, 148 house searches, 59 cases being sent to judicial authorities, and 72 ongoing criminal investigations. Authorities also reported 169 domains, removed 27,332 URLs, and identified more than 722,000 infringing objects.
Private sector partners also played an important role by sharing intelligence linked to illegal streaming infrastructure. Their support helped investigators identify 4,370 new domains connected to piracy, 18,331 IP addresses linked to illegal services, nearly 397,000 URLs reported for suspension or removal and more than 126,000 additional infringing objects.
Europol co-led the operational coordination with Bulgaria’s General Directorate Combating Organised Crime. It helped participating countries exchange intelligence, coordinate cross-border actions and receive technical support during the investigation.
The operation involved authorities from Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. Europol also worked with anti-piracy and audiovisual partners, including AAPA, ACE/MPA, LALIGA, UEFA, Friend MTS, beIN Media Group and Irdeto.
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