Europol‑Backed Operation Dismantles Nine Crime Groups in Europewide Illegal‑Streaming Crackdown

Officials targeted the hidden servers, domains and IP networks that power illicit streams to cut revenues for organised crime and limit user security risks.

Overview

Authorities announced Wednesday that Operation KRATOS 2, a seven‑month probe led by Bulgaria with Europol support, dismantled nine organised crime groups and arrested 29 people.
Investigators removed more than 27,000 illegal streaming URLs and found infringement across roughly 169 domains covering about 850,000 media items.
The operation mapped thousands of infrastructure indicators, identifying roughly 4,400 new domains, over 18,000 IP addresses and flagging nearly 400,000 additional URLs for takedown.
Law enforcement worked closely with rights holders and private intelligence firms to trace backend servers that operators separate from public websites, enabling cross‑border prosecution and 148 house searches.
Dozens of cases have been referred to courts, follow‑up investigations remain active, and authorities warned that illegal streaming fuels organised crime and exposes users to malware, spyware and data theft.