Piracy/Europol: 29 arrests, 9 organised crime groups dismantled and 27,000 URLs removed in one operation

Europol, in collaboration with the Bulgaria’s General Directorate Combating Organised Crime (GDBOP), has carried out the Operation Kratos 2, which led to "29 arrests, the dismantling of nine organised crime groups and the removal of over 27,000 illegal streaming URLs" distributing sports and audiovisual content, the body announced on 03 June 2026.

The operation, which ran from September 2025 to April 2026, focused "on the criminal infrastructure enabling illegal IPTV services and unauthorised streaming platforms to operate across jurisdictions," the office said. Authorities from a number of countries were involved, including France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy and the United States.

"Throughout the operational phase, Europol facilitated intelligence exchange between participating countries, coordinated cross-border cooperation and provided operational and technical support to national authorities. Information received from private sector partners was shared securely through Europol’s Secure Information Exchange Network Application (SIENA), enabling investigators to develop a…