Chorley man who made nearly £1m illegally selling UK TV content is jailed for six years

A pensioner has been jailed after making nearly £1 million through an illegal streaming business run from his Chorley home .

Sixty eight-year-old Milan Ibrahim was found guilty of conspiracy to defraud after making £980,812 by selling copyrighted content around the world.

From his Birch Road home base, he would capture programmes and livestreams from the BBC, ITV, and Premier League football, before converting them into a format that buyers could use on devices such as Amazon Firesticks.

He would then sell subscriptions to his service to customers in the UK and abroad, with a particular focus on British expats.

Investigating officers described Ibrahim’s operation as “sophisticated”.

The City of London Police – who led the investigation – seized 80 servers from his business.

They said he had sold thousands of illegal streams over a three-year period.

Preston Crown Court sentenced Ibrahim to six-and-a-half years in prison.

He will also face proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act to recover some of the money he made selling illegal subscriptions.

Investigation officer Emma Slater, who works for the Police Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), said: "It is important we pursue criminals who seek to profit from the supply of illegal IPTV services. These offenders show complete disregard for rights holders and the actors, creative artists, technical specialists and support staff involved in producing the content they unlawfully distribute.

“Illegal IPTV is not a victimless crime. The financial harm caused by these services impacts the entire creative industry.

“PIPCU will continue to pursue those involved in the provision of illegal IPTV services, both in the UK and internationally. We work closely with industry partners and law enforcement agencies around the world to identify, disrupt and prosecute offenders."

Members of the BBC, Sky, and the Premier League have thanked police for shutting down his operation, she added.

Stefan Sergot, director of legal enforcement at the Premier League described Ibrahim as one of the UK’s “most prominent and long-standing suppliers of pirate services.

He said: “Milan Ibrahim repeatedly sold content belonging to the Premier League and other rights holders for his own financial gain.

“His sentence reflects the seriousness of his offending and sends a clear message that those who profit from piracy will ultimately be heldaccountable.

“We are extremely grateful to PIPCU and FACT for their determination and expertise in bringing him to justice. We will continue working with our partners to disrupt illegal services and pursue those responsible for them.”

Nick Sumner, investigations manager at the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) said illegal steaming services undermine broadcasters and rights holders that invest in creating and distributing content.

He said: “This outcome sends a clear message: running an illegal streaming service is a criminal offence with serious consequences.”

And Matt Hibbert, group director of anti-piracy at Sky, said the pay TV service would continue to disrupt pirates.

He said: “Sky will continue working with partners to disrupt piracy, protect consumers and safeguard the content our customers love."]

And Diane Hamer, at the BBC, added: “Piracy is not a victimless crime. Those responsible contribute nothing to the creation or broadcast of television programmes.

“Their actions not only deprive the UK’s creative industries of vital revenue, impacting creators, businesses, and professionals who rely on the protection of intellectual property rights, but also impacts licence fee payers.

“This conviction sends a clear message that such activity has real consequences.”