DStv and SuperSport abusers nailed in South Africa – with more to come

Multichoice has dealt another significant blow to the internet streaming piracy operation known as Waka TV through another successful raid.

The raid was successfully carried out on Friday, 6 September, in Germiston, leading to the arrest of an individual allegedly involved in theft, fraud, money laundering, and violations of the Cyber Crime Act 19 of 2021.

During the raid, the suspect was apprehended for allegedly aiding one of the investigation’s informants.

The suspect is accused of allegedly providing an illegal internet streaming device intended to facilitate unauthorized access to SuperSport content. This violation directly impacts broadcasters such as DStv.

“The suspect has been identified as an alleged reseller connected to Waka TV, one of the most notorious piracy rings currently operating across Africa,” Multichoice said.

During the operation, the authorities seized various items, including an alleged illicit streaming device, banners advertising unauthorized sales of DStv Premium content, and a mobile phone containing the contact details of several individuals who allegedly paid for the illegal service.

Multichoice has warned that subscribers of these services are also at risk of further action by the group.

Police also uncovered detailed financial records linking the suspect to another high-profile target.

“Investigators have now broadened the scope of the investigation, with authorities expecting further arrests related to this network,” it said.

Frikkie Jonker, the Broadcasting Cybersecurity Anti-Piracy Director at MultiChoice-owned Irdeto, confirmed that more raids on resellers and outlets linked to Waka TV are imminent as law enforcement intensifies efforts to dismantle the sprawling piracy operation.

This latest enforcement action is part of an ongoing nationwide crackdown on piracy spearheaded by local authorities in collaboration with the MultiChoice Anti-Piracy Department.

The latest raid marks the fifth major operation by the group to tackle content piracy in South Africa in the past three months.

In July, the group raided and arrested a suspect in Eldorado Park who had been selling logging credentials and internet streaming pirate devices, which enabled illegal access to the group’s premium content.

Multichoice also conducted two key raids in June.

The first saw a ‘piracy kingpin’ in the Western Cape arrested. The suspect was believed to have managed several pirate customers and resellers of Waka TV.

The second June raid in Johannesburg saw the arrest of an individual with alleged ties to the illegal sale of pirate internet streaming devices, which allowed individuals to access MultiChoice content, violating several legal statutes.

Multichoice is primarily going after content pirates based on violations against:

• Section 2 of the Cybercrime Act 19 of 2020 (unauthorized access to content)
• Sections 44 & 45 of the RICA Act 70 of 2002 (possession and sale of an infringing device)
• Section 27 of the Copyright Act 98 of 1978 (infringement of a rightsholder’s rights)

Multichoice previously noted that subscribers of illegal pirate services are also in the crosshairs.

“Subscribing to pirate services can expose individuals to significant legal risks. Users may face fines or legal action for accessing content illegally,” it warned.

Read: Multichoice is coming after these DStv abusers in South Africa hard