Fallen IPTV octopus! 24 accused, among them an employee of the Ministry of Defense, a former soldier and a policeman

According to the indictment, from 2020 to November 2024, the group removed protection from legal OTT and IPTV services and distributed such signals to users without authorization and charged a subscription fee. At the head of the system, USKOK claims, was DJ, while his closest collaborator was ZS. The two, it is stated, managed the technical infrastructure and controlled the network.

The signal was redirected to servers abroad, and access was enabled through a special application. The system had an administrative interface through which user accounts were opened and extended and so-called ‘lines’ were assigned. The researchers reconstructed a clear division of labor: the organizers kept the technology under control, the administrators maintained the database of films and series, while the resellers searched for users, installed the equipment and charged for the service.

The indictment lists and amounts in detail. According to the prosecutor’s claims, DJ illegally acquired 245,681 euros, ZS 174,681 euros, while DR is charged with 70,552 euros. Among the major resellers, AJ is mentioned with 132,900 euros and NG with 77,600 euros.

Subscriptions ranged from 10 to 15 euros per month, or from 80 to 200 euros per year. Watching was possible through special receivers and Android devices connected to the television and the Internet. Resellers would install the application, enter the MAC address of the device and activate the service. They kept part of the money, and passed the rest on to the organizers.

Among the defendants are persons employed in state offices. The retired officer of the Croatian Army SA is accused of having earned 47,200 euros, while the employee of the Immunological Institute of the SP is charged with 44,800 euros and 278 useful accounts. A police officer from Delnica MB allegedly acts as a reseller. earned at least 1300 euros. According to the indictment, JJ, an employee of the Special Forces Command of the Ministry of Defense, administered a virtual video library and received 100 euros per month for this, a total of 2,700 euros.

The billing model was elaborated. Subscriptions were paid in cash, via mobile applications or QR codes, and in some cases money was left in mailboxes. According to USKOK, this way of doing business made it possible to avoid bank traces.

The investigators also collected messages from which it appears that the network had a kind of useful support. Problems with channels, subtitles and transmission were solved, subscription extensions and device replacements were arranged.

Most of the defendants admitted mediation in the sale and collection, while some claimed that they did not know that they were breaking the law or that the word about minor works. USKOK, however, believes that the word about an organized and long-term system with a large number of users.

The indictment was submitted to the County Court in Zagreb, which will decide whether to confirm it. Given the confessions of some of the accused, settlements with the prosecution are also possible.