THREE MEN HAVE been arrested for the suspected involvement in a website that allows people download blockbuster movies and TV shows.

The men, all in their mid twenties, were arrested in the UK on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and copyright theft.

The website was originally registered to one of the suspects in the UK, but was then re-registered to the second suspect at an address in Romania.

Film downloads 

The Metropolitan Police believe money made from advertising on the website continued to be paid into a London-based bank account.

The police had a warrant to search a residential premises in Southwark, where they recovered digital equipment and financial documents. That search is ongoing.

The investigation also involved the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT).

Investigating officer, Detective Sergeant Neil Reynolds, of London Regional Asset Recovery Team said the site “was extremely popular” and was viewed over 70,000 times a day.

Internationally, it ranked thousands of places higher than a well-known and legitimate film download site.

The name of the site has not been made public by police.

It can be difficult for people to care about copyright laws being broken but the money made from such sites is often spent on funding other crime. We are looking at how much money was made from advertising on this website and where that money went to.

Kieron Sharp, Director General of FACT, said websites which set out to direct users to illegal copies of films and TV shows are engaged in criminal activity, which also undermines the fundamental business model and future investment in the creative industries.

“As these latest arrests show, this type of criminal enterprise will not go without action, and those involved face severe penalties.”

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