The Hyderabad Cybercrime Police have dismantled a major movie piracy network, arresting five individuals and issuing notices to five others for aiding the illegal operation.

The accused identified as Ashwani Kumar (Bihar), Cyril Infant Raj Amaladoss and Sudhakaran (Tamil Nadu), Jana Kiran Kumar (Hyderabad), and Arsalan Ahmed (Goa) were involved in pirating and distributing newly released Telugu films.

The racket caused severe losses to the Indian film industry, which faced an estimated Rs 22,400 crore loss due to piracy in 2023. The investigation began after the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC) reported the piracy of films Single and HIT: The Third Case on their release day.

Commissioner C V Anand called the crackdown one of India’s largest anti-piracy operations, targeting piracy across multiple film industries including Bollywood and Hollywood. Pirated content was traced through forensic watermarking to theatre cam recordings and hacked digital media servers.

The content was distributed via torrent sites, Telegram channels, and illegal streaming platforms, often backed by online betting sponsors. Payments were made using crypto currencies. Police seized several electronic devices during raids, and two cases have been registered under the IT Act, Copyright Act, and Cinematograph Act.