THREE men have been arrested for digital TV piracy offences after police raided Coventry homes.
Officers from Coventry Police assisted colleagues from Trading Standards and the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) in executing warrants at a commercial premises in Stoke and three residential addresses last Monday (June 6).
A number of items were seized in relation to the sale and distribution of fraudulent digital TV packages.
But officers also unearthed a cannabis cultivation set-up at one of the residential premises and recovered a number of plants at various stages of growth.
PC James Rees, from Coventry’s Local Priorities Team, said: “Acting on information from the community we are determined to crack down on those who we suspect are committing criminal offences around the distribution of fraudulent digital TV packages.
“This sort of crime affects everyone and costs the broadcasters and members of the public thousands of pounds each year.”
The men, aged 48, 51 and 38, have been released on police bail while enquiries continue.
Director General of FACT, Kieron Sharp, added: “Pub landlords and the general public need to be aware that set-top boxes allowing access to pirated TV, sports and films are very much illegal.
“You may think this type of crime is victimless but the reality is that piracy affects the lives and jobs of hundreds of thousands of people in the TV and film industry.
“We would like to thank West Midlands Police and Trading Standards for their support in this investigation and hope Monday’s action is a strong warning to anyone involved in this criminality that we take piracy very seriously.”
