MUMBAI: Indian authorities have dismantled an international television piracy network that streamed over 10,000 channels—including banned Pakistani networks—to customers via WhatsApp groups, in what investigators describe as the first fully exposed cross-border content theft operation.
Police in Ghaziabad registered a case against a 35-year-old businessman accused of running the illicit internet protocol television (IPTV) service in collaboration with handlers across the border, according to StoryBoard18, which first reported the investigation.
The probe began when officers from Tilamod Police Station traced a suspicious WhatsApp group facilitating illegal access to premium television channels. The investigation led to the blocking of 53 domains distributing pirated content under the “IPTV World” brand name.
According to the First Information Report filed on 27 July, the accused illegally streamed copyrighted content from JioStar India Pvt Ltd and its OTT platform JioHotstar without authorisation. The pirated catalogue included popular Indian channels such as Star Plus HD, Star Bharat HD and Colors HD, alongside Pakistani networks Hadi TV and Noor TV—the latter raising national security concerns.
Investigators discovered the accused coordinated with a Pakistan-based pirate, paying in cryptocurrency to obtain copyrighted material. The service reached customers primarily through WhatsApp groups, with payments processed via UPI accounts.
“The modus operandi of the accused was to provide services through WhatsApp groups, which became the key lead in our investigation,” said a senior officer involved in the probe.
The complaint filed by JioStar accused IPTV World of bypassing technical protection measures and hosting pirated content on servers linked to providers including Hostinger and GoDaddy, violating copyright, information technology and criminal laws.
The case represents a breakthrough in understanding digital piracy’s mechanics. JioStar’s John Doe lawsuit before the Delhi high court led to the voluntary appearance of the service provider’s owner, who agreed to a permanent injunction and disclosed the network’s complete operations, including business associates, 300 infringing URLs, and distribution platforms.
These disclosures revealed coordinated cross-border collaboration, cryptocurrency payments, and systematic circumvention of content protection measures. The entire operation—from content sourcing to distribution via WhatsApp and Facebook—was organised from Pakistan.
The investigation marks the first time authorities have fully mapped premium content piracy’s complete lifecycle, from origin to delivery. It exposes how digital platforms initially designed for communication have become conduits for large-scale intellectual property theft.
The case highlights broader challenges facing India’s digital entertainment industry as streaming services proliferate. Content owners face sophisticated piracy networks that exploit encrypted messaging platforms and cryptocurrency payments to evade traditional enforcement mechanisms.
In a related development, police in Rajasthan have registered a separate case against cable operator Hazi Ali for allegedly broadcasting JioStar channels without proper licensing. The ministry of information and broadcasting had cancelled his broadcasting licence in 2024 for regulatory violations, yet he reportedly continued transmitting copyrighted content.
The crackdown reflects heightened enforcement efforts as India’s entertainment industry pushes authorities to tackle digital piracy more aggressively. With streaming revenues at stake and national security concerns over unauthorised Pakistani content, expect more coordinated action against cross-border piracy networks.
Whether these enforcement successes can meaningfully dent the broader piracy ecosystem remains uncertain. As investigators shut down established networks, new operators typically emerge using evolved techniques to evade detection.
The cat-and-mouse game between content owners and pirates continues, now with WhatsApp groups as the unlikely battlefield.
