In the past week investigators and police have visited addresses across Hertfordshire and Essex to serve notices to people suspected of supplying illegal streaming services.

In its UK-wide initiative, FACT investigators and police officers from the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) visited the suspects to deliver Cease and Desist notices.

FACT, an intellectual property protection organisation, works with the Government Agency Intelligence Network (GAIN) to gather intelligence on and disrupt organised crime groups (OCGs) associated with this illegal activity.

The initiative is aimed at preventing the illegal supply of Internet Protocol television (IPTV) streams, with investigators visiting homes in Essex and Hertfordshire to serve notices informing suspects to cease any illegal activity with immediate effect.

This latest action targeted suspects who were promoting unauthorised access to premium television content.

Chief executive of FACT Kieron Sharp said: “We employ a range of tactics to prevent the provision of illegal streaming.

“Our continuous activity targets different elements of the global piracy landscape, with consideration given to the scale of the offending to ensure effective and proportionate action is taken.

“By taking these measures we are sending a clear message. Piracy is fraud and anyone motivated by financial gain from doing this needs to know that this is a crime which will be taken seriously by police.

“I would like to thank the GAIN and all the police units for their assistance in this initiative and look forward to further collaboration.”

The individuals visited were operating at a relatively low level, but the initiative was aimed at preventing them from undertaking further criminal activity and deterring others from getting involved.

GAIN coordinator at ERSOU Paul Sanders said: “This initiative looks to not only cease illegal activity with immediate effect, but also to prevent further crimes taking place.

“It’s important to remember that the public may be risking their personal and financial information by engaging with illegal services, and we will continue to support FACT in their endeavours to prevent illegal content provision.”

This initiative is the latest in a series of actions to crackdown on illegal streaming and those profiting from it.