A SUSPECTED TV ‘dodgy box’ supplier in Galway City had his house searched last weekend with a number of electronic devices seized for a technical examination.

The Garda search operation was carried out as part of a crackdown on the use of illegal TV streaming devices, mainly involving Sky Sports and film channels.

Close on 200 accounts – linked to the ‘dodgy box’ supplier – were closed down following the search and seizure operation in Rahoon on the west side of Galway City.

Gardaí from the Galway County West Crime Unit, the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau, were involved in the search operation.

The illegal streaming of Sky TV products – a process known as IPTV or Internet Protocol Television – can lead to huge fines being imposed on distributors and pubs using the firesticks.

Individual householders can also face large fines if detected using illegal TV streams for pay channels.

No arrests were made at the scene of the latest search but a senior Garda has confirmed that the investigation is ongoing.

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