Crackdown in Cork on illegal 'dodgy boxes'

COUNTY Cork is expected to see a major crackdown on illegal TV streaming services, known as ‘dodgy boxes.’

The illegal services provide stream access to premium TV, sporting events and new movie releases at a far reduced price.

Dublin, Kildare, Wexford, Wicklow, Meath, Limerick, Offaly, Tipperary, Mayo and Donegal are some of the counties also being targeted in this effort.

A number of legal warnings have been sent from companies such as Sky and the Premier League to individuals involved in providing illegal access to premium content.

The announcement comes as several arrests were made in England for illegal streaming, with police visiting homes across the UK, serving notices to individuals to cease illegal streaming.

It's understood that the Irish crackdown will not target the end user, but rather those who sell the service.

Kieron Sharp, CEO of the Federation Against Copyright Theft (Fact), has said that Illegal IPTV service providers are a significant problem in Ireland.

“This is criminal activity, and those involved are not concerned about the risks their streams pose to consumers,” the Fact CEO said.

Chief Executive of Sport for Business, Rob Hartnett, says people can be scammed by those who provide illegal streaming services.

"It can be a little bit dodgy in terms of the links that are available for some of the streams that are being taken down illegally. If you are not paying for it somebody is and sometimes they can be advertisers or even people that are going to try and scam you money.”