Galway is one of seven of counties being targeted in a crackdown on ‘dodgy boxes’ providing illegal access to tv streaming services.
A wave of legal warnings have been delivered in person, by post, and by email to individuals getting illegal access to premium TV content.
Cease and desist letters were sent to addresses in Mayo, Monaghan, Galway, Louth, Dublin, Cork, and Laois between August 7 and August 18.
A ‘dodgy box’ is a device, often called an Android Box, which can bypass pay requirements for television shows, sports, and movies.
The Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) has stated that it is working with broadcasters and Gardaí to target illegal streaming services.
The cease-and-desist notices instruct those running the services to immediately cease all illegal streaming activity, or risk facing criminal prosecution.
Kieron Sharp, CEO at FACT, commented: “Illegal IPTV service providers are breaking the law and putting consumers at real risk of malware, data loss and identity theft.
“Consumers who pay for pirate services should also know that they are often funding serious organised crime groups.
“FACT and partners remain committed to disrupting these criminal operations and protecting consumers”.
The first wave occurred across Ireland in March, with a number of illegal streaming services taken down and legal proceedings brought against individuals.
In May, five men were sentenced in total to just over 30 years in prison in the UK for their part in running three illegal streaming services – Flawless, Shared VPS and Optimal.
The ringleader of the operation, Mark Gould, was sentenced to 11 years. The case was led by Premier League, and supported by Sky and others.
