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http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,7493,575317,00.html
Seven arrested on ITV Digital fraud charges
Jason Deans
Tuesday October 16, 2001
Seven people were arrested today in connection with an alleged multimillion-pound operation to defraud ITV Digital through the mass production of pirate smart cards.
Four men and three women were detained at two business addresses in Stoke-on-Trent this morning.
The arrests followed an investigation by the Federation Against Copyright Theft (Fact), an industry group set up to fight counterfeiting on behalf of its members.
Police are also searching a separate business address in Tunstall and a house in Packmoor, both in the Stoke area.
Fact has been investigating the alleged unlawful mass production, counterfeit and sale of ITV Digital smart cards and hardware, which enable customers to access the pay-TV operator's channels.
ITV Digital has already launched more than 50 prosecutions relating to the alleged fraudulent copying and use of its smart cards.
It has been estimated 100,000 households could be using the illegal cards.
Detectives from Staffordshire Police were joined by uniformed officers for this morning's operation, codenamed Advantage.
Three of the men arrested, aged 27, 29 and 30, are from the Stoke area while the fourth, aged 29, is from nearby Newcastle-under-Lyme.
Two of the women are aged 18, the other is aged 19 and all come from the Stoke area.
Seven arrested on ITV Digital fraud charges
Jason Deans
Tuesday October 16, 2001
Seven people were arrested today in connection with an alleged multimillion-pound operation to defraud ITV Digital through the mass production of pirate smart cards.
Four men and three women were detained at two business addresses in Stoke-on-Trent this morning.
The arrests followed an investigation by the Federation Against Copyright Theft (Fact), an industry group set up to fight counterfeiting on behalf of its members.
Police are also searching a separate business address in Tunstall and a house in Packmoor, both in the Stoke area.
Fact has been investigating the alleged unlawful mass production, counterfeit and sale of ITV Digital smart cards and hardware, which enable customers to access the pay-TV operator's channels.
ITV Digital has already launched more than 50 prosecutions relating to the alleged fraudulent copying and use of its smart cards.
It has been estimated 100,000 households could be using the illegal cards.
Detectives from Staffordshire Police were joined by uniformed officers for this morning's operation, codenamed Advantage.
Three of the men arrested, aged 27, 29 and 30, are from the Stoke area while the fourth, aged 29, is from nearby Newcastle-under-Lyme.
Two of the women are aged 18, the other is aged 19 and all come from the Stoke area.