In a coordinated global business, Europol shut down over 30.500 websites distributing fake and pirated material over the Internet and arrested three suspects.
According to Europol, these sites were selling various fakes products και παρείχαν πειρατικά προϊόντα και υπηρεσίες, συμπεριλαμβανομένων των πειρατικών ταινιών, σειρών τηλεόρασης, μουσικής, “σπασμένες” applications, counterfeit drugs and other illegal products.
It seems that none of the sites that were shut down are among the most famous pirate sites on the internet, although we did see some on our list that were left out. operation. Nevertheless, 26.000 luxury clothes and perfumes, 363 liters of alcoholic beverages and an unspecified number of devices were seized in this global Europol operation.
Europol officials have identified and frozen more than 150.000 euros from various bank accounts and online payment platforms.
The sites closed and the arrests made are part of an ongoing effort to combat piracy, code-named "In Our Sites X" (IOS X), launched by 2014 and still running today. assistance to the Member States of the European Union and international law enforcement.
The operation was supported by 18 EU Member States, including Albania, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Denmark, France and Germany. η Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Serbia, the United Kingdom, and Hong Kong, China, the United States, Colombia and Eastern Europe.
Last year, the In Our Sites initiative led to the termination of more than one million copyright infringing websites found to sell counterfeit auto parts, electrical components, personal care products and other counterfeit goods.
