Two brothers have been sentenced to a total of 11 years in prison for operating an illegal streaming service that offered subscriptions to premium television content, including Sky.
Amir Butt, aged 56 from Ilford, was sentenced to seven years in prison and his brother Ammar Hussain, aged 39 also from Ilford, was sentenced to four years after being found guilty of conspiracy to defraud over a seven-year period from August 2012 to March 2019.
Trading under the names, Tech & Sat Ltd. Techsat and Tech + Sat, the fraudulent operation was run from Butt’s home on Grange Road, Ilford and a shop on Cranbrook Road, Ilford. The pair sold annual subscriptions, which provided access to a range of sports and entertainment content, for £200 each. They were believed to have thousands of customers, generating hundreds of thousands of pounds in revenue and depriving legitimate tv providers in excess of £1m.
Their exploits came to the attention of Sky through the intellectual property protection organisation, FACT. In March 2019, search warrants were carried out by police and the London Borough of Redbridge’s Trading Standards at the shop and two residential addresses. Butt was arrested at his home address and Hussain was arrested at the shop. Cash and a substantial amount of equipment, including Sky set-top boxes and viewing cards, were seized from the addresses for further forensic analysis.
The trial commenced in September 2023 and ran for four weeks. Despite Butt failing to appear he was found guilty in his absence. He was sentenced to seven years in prison at Snaresbrook Crown Court on September 21st 2023.
On 13 August, Ammar Hussain was sentenced to four years in prison at Snaresbrook Crown Court.
Matt Hibbert, Sky’s Group Director of Anti-Piracy said,
“Today’s sentencing highlights the significant consequences for those that get involved in illegally streaming content.
“We are grateful to FACT and to London Borough of Redbridge Trading Standards for their assistance in tackling what was a brazen illegal streaming operation.
“We will continue to work with partners and law enforcement to protect our content and help keep consumers safe from criminal piracy networks.”
Kieron Sharp CEO FACT said,
“This was a lengthy and thorough investigation which required the attention of FACT, Sky, Trading Standards and the police to produce the physical and digital evidence needed to prosecute the offenders. This verdict is both a punishment to the two men committing these criminal acts and a deterrent to others who are engaged in similar activities.
“Piracy is a crime that weakens the creative industries, reduces opportunities for producing future content, and puts significant profits into the hands of criminals. It is not a victimless crime.
“FACT remain dedicated to collaborating with our partners to combat IP crime and protect the rights of content creators and owners.”
Sasha Taylor, Head of Community Protection and Licensing at Redbridge Council, said:
“This prosecution sends out an unequivocal message that we will come down hard on those who try to undercut legitimate businesses with illegal activity.
“Our Trading Standards department have played a pivotal role in this case, meticulously gathering supporting evidence and presenting a solid and robust case. Their efforts have led to the successful prosecution of these two men.”
