A series of enforcement actions led by MultiChoice and its subsidiary Irdeto, in partnership with South African law enforcement authorities, has resulted in arrests, seizures and multiple court convictions linked to illegal internet streaming operations in the Western Cape.
In a statement, the DStv operator says the coordinated efforts form part of ongoing work by MultiChoice and Irdeto to combat digital piracy and protect creative industries across the African continent, working closely with investigators and prosecutors to identify and dismantle illegal streaming networks.
According to MultiChoice, authorities conducted two successful raids in Cape Town during February and March, targeting individuals involved in illegal internet streaming activities.
It notes that in a search and seizure operation conducted on 12 February, in collaboration with members of the Provincial Commercial Investigation Unit, a suspect linked to the sale of illegal internet streaming services was arrested.
During the raid, two cellphones were seized and will undergo download and forensic examination as part of ongoing investigations, it says.
The video entertainment company adds that a second operation on 5 March led to the arrest of another suspect allegedly involved in illegal streaming activities. During the raid, one cellphone was confiscated and will also be subjected to forensic analysis. The individual appeared in court on 6 March.
MultiChoice says investigators were able to access the suspect’s streaming management panel, where system credentials were secured for further analysis.
It explains that preliminary findings revealed that the platform hosted 819 user accounts, of which 715 were active at the time. All accounts have since been disabled and login credentials changed to prevent further illegal activity.
Both suspects have been formally charged under the Cyber Crimes Act for the unauthorised access to and interception of data. Investigations remain ongoing as authorities, together with MultiChoice and Irdeto’s anti-piracy specialists, continue to analyse the seized devices and digital evidence.
Court cases
In related developments, MultiChoice says several cases linked to illegal digital activities have recently been concluded in the Paarl Regional Court and the Worcester Regional Court, following plea and sentence agreements.
In the Paarl Regional Court, a case concluded on 3 March, with the accused found guilty on three charges: fraud, unlawful acts in respect of software or hardware tools in contravention of section 4(2) of the Cyber Crimes Act, and unlawful interception of data in terms of section 3(1) of the Act.
According to MultiChoice, the court imposed a five-year sentence of direct imprisonment, wholly suspended for five years, on condition that the accused is not convicted of offences under sections 2 to 7 of the Cyber Crimes Act during the suspension period.
Two further cases were finalised in the Worcester Regional Court on 12 February, it adds.
In the first case, the accused was convicted of unlawfully providing passwords or access codes (Section 7(1)(c)) and cyber fraud (Section 8(a)) of the Cyber Crimes Act. The court handed down a wholly suspended sentence of eight years’ imprisonment for the first count.
For the cyber fraud charge, the firm says the accused was placed under 36 months of correctional supervision, which includes house arrest, 16 hours of community service per month, and participation in rehabilitation programmes as directed by authorities.
In the second case, the accused was convicted on three counts: unlawful access (Section 2(2)(a)), unlawful acts in respect of software or hardware tools (Section 4(a)), and cyber fraud (Section 8(a)) of the Cyber Crimes Act.
The court imposed wholly suspended sentences of five and eight years’ imprisonment for the first two counts, respectively. For the cyber fraud charge, the accused was also sentenced to 36 months of correctional supervision, including house arrest, community service and participation in social programmes.
“These outcomes form part of sustained anti-piracy enforcement efforts led by MultiChoice and Irdeto, working alongside law enforcement agencies to detect, investigate and prosecute illegal streaming operations,” says Tobias Maja, senior anti-piracy manager at Irdeto.
“The arrests, prosecutions and sentencing send a clear signal that cyber crime and content piracy will not be tolerated.”
The companies say that as investigations linked to the recent Cape Town raids continue, authorities and industry partners remain committed to protecting content creators, broadcasters and the broader creative economy by disrupting illegal streaming networks operating in South Africa and across the African continent.
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