Bangkok: The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) launched "Operation Lion Strike," raiding six locations in Bangkok, Nonthaburi, and Phuket to dismantle a network of illegally streaming football matches. This operation follows a continuous investigation since 2024. The raids uncovered at least four individuals involved, serving as administrators and managers of the websites. The primary target was the "DOOPEANTEAM" website, which offered online live football streaming and had approximately 60,000 viewers. The network's main revenue came from embedded advertising, particularly targeting online gambling websites within the "UFA" group. Authorities found evidence of money transfers and are currently investigating the financial trail to expand the investigation.
According to Thai News Agency, Police Colonel Khemachat Prakaihongmani, Director of the Technology and Information Crime Division of the DSI, revealed that they have initially shut down approximately 4-5 websites in the network and are expanding the investigation to other websites, as well as the financiers and those behind the scenes. These actions fall under the Copyright Act, the Gambling Act, and may also constitute predicate offenses under money laundering laws, leading to the seizure of assets and prosecution of those who benefited.
Furthermore, the public is warned that accessing pirated websites carries a high risk of malware infection or personal data theft, as many web pages are linked to online gambling advertisements and cybercrime networks.
While the group of businesses that have legitimate broadcasting rights stated that copyright infringement has a severe impact on investment in the creative industries, employment, and content innovation, the estimated damages in this specific case are initially projected at 2 billion baht. Overall, the cumulative damages from all copyright infringement cases handled by the Technology and Information Crime Division exceed 10 billion baht.