In a significant crackdown, the Hyderabad cybercrime police have dismantled a sophisticated, pan-India movie piracy network, unearthing a financial nexus with major online betting platforms.
The operation has led to five arrests and exposed a pipeline that leaked hundreds of films, sometimes before their official release, causing massive financial losses to the entertainment industry.
The investigation was reportedly triggered by a complaint from the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC) on June 5. The TFCC alleged that new Telugu films ‘HIT: The Third Case’ and ‘#Single’ had been illegally uploaded to piracy websites, prompting a probe.
According to a report by TOI, the chain began with individuals like 29-year-old AC technician Jana Kiran Kumar, arrested on June 30.
Kumar was found to have recorded the film ‘#Single’ on his mobile phone inside an Attapur cinema hall. His interrogation revealed he was acting on the directions of a central figure, Cyril Infant Raj, a 32-year-old computer engineering graduate from Karur.
Cyril, arrested on July 28, allegedly orchestrated the network. He instructed agents like Kumar to record films in theatres and procured high-definition (HD) prints from hackers.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner CV Anand was cited by TOI as saying, “Cyril then uploaded these films on piracy sites such as 1Tamilblasters, 5MovieZRulz and 1TamilMV, paying Kiran between $150 to $500 per movie in cryptocurrency.”
The investigation uncovered the racket’s scale and funding. Commissioner Anand explained that since 2020, Cyril had uploaded over 550 movies, operating at a peak of 15 films per month.
“He operates 10 crypto wallets and three bank accounts. Betting platforms such as 1xbet, Pari Match, Raj Bet and Kora Bet advertise on these sites and pay Cyril nearly Rs 9 lakh per month,” Anand told TOI.
Following the money trail led police to a wider network. Another key arrest was that of 21-year-old Ashwini Kumar from Patna on August 11.
Unlike the theatre recorders, Ashwini was a hacker who breached the servers of digital movie distribution companies to steal HD prints, sometimes prior to a film’s release.
He sold these for $800 per film via Telegram and had illegally downloaded 150 movies; police have frozen $1 lakh in his crypto wallet.
Other arrests included 23-year-old Aslan Ahmed from Jehanabad, Bihar, who recorded Hindi and Bhojpuri films, and 31-year-old Sudhakaran from Tamil Nadu, who captured films in multiple South Indian languages.
Pune-based trader Asmit Singh was identified as facilitating the conversion of cryptocurrency to Indian rupees for the accused.
The police emphasised the devastating economic impact of such piracy. Commissioner Anand noted that the Indian entertainment industry lost an estimated Rs 22,400 crore in 2023, with Tollywood alone suffering a Rs 3,700 crore blow in 2024. “These arrests highlight the need for digital distribution companies to upgrade online security,” he added.
Producers and industry bodies, including Dil Raju and TFCC anti-piracy cell head Raj Kumar, have reportedly praised the police action.
They reiterated the urgent plea for the public to shun pirated content and the betting platforms that help fund its distribution, bringing to light a criminal enterprise where illegal gambling and entertainment piracy were symbiotically linked.
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