In a sweeping operation spanning multiple countries, Italian police dismantled a massive illegal streaming network that served more than 22 million users across Europe. Dubbed ''Operation Takendown'', this unprecedented crackdown marks the biggest blow against audio-visual piracy on the continent to date.

The operation was spearheaded by the Catania Public Prosecutor's Office, with the support of 270 postal police officers who conducted 89 searches across 15 Italian regions. The crackdown extended beyond Italy’s borders, with law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Romania, and Croatia carrying out 14 additional searches. Croatian authorities took things a step further, placing 11 suspects in custody as part of the operation.

This wasn’t just a small-time ring—it was a sophisticated criminal organization that managed a vast web of illicit channels and servers. These systems enabled access to pirated content for millions of users and generated an illegal income estimated at €250 million per month.

At the heart of ''Operation Takendown'' was a coordinated effort involving Eurojust and Europol, two major European judicial bodies. They were supported by Italy's Postal Police Service for Cyber Security and the anti-mafia investigative directorate (DIA). A specialized operational network known as @on, funded by the European Commission, also played a crucial role.

The authorities seized over 2,500 illegal channels and servers that were responsible for distributing pirated content. These systems handled the majority of illegal signals across Europe, which included live sports broadcasts, movies, and television shows.