The Days of the Dodgy Box May Be Numbered as Gardaí Shut Down IPTV Operation

Gardaí have shut down almost 200 accounts linked to an illegal streaming service after raiding a property in Galway today, in a move that should serve as a warning to anyone across Cork still relying on a "dodgy box" for their telly.

Members of the Galway County West Crime Unit, the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau searched a residential property in Rahoon, Galway City on Friday, 6 February 2026, as part of an operation targeting illegal TV streaming services and money laundering offences.

Electronic devices were seized during the search, and almost 200 accounts believed to be linked to an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) streaming service were shut down. The operation primarily targeted the illegal streaming of Sky TV products.

No arrests have been made at this time. A file will be prepared for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, and investigations are ongoing.

The illicit streaming of IPTV is a copyright offence under Section 140 of the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000. While today's operation took place in Galway, it forms part of a broader national effort by specialist Garda units to crack down on illegal streaming services, and those 200 accounts could belong to subscribers anywhere in the country.

For anyone in Cork still paying a few euro a month for access to a box that seems too good to be true, today's operation is a reminder that it probably is.