Thai economic crime police, working with Interpol and Warner Bros., have arrested a suspect linked to the cross-border pirate streaming network MyIPTV4K during raids in Chiang Mai. Authorities said the operation targeted alleged copyright infringement involving films and entertainment content distributed without permission, while related raids in Malaysia led to the arrest of a husband-and-wife team connected to the network.
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The operation was ordered by Central Investigation Bureau commissioner Lt Gen Nattasak Chawanasai and led by officers from the Economic Crime Suppression Division (ECD), alongside Thailand’s Department of Intellectual Property and representatives from Warner Bros. Entertainment. Officers arrested Akkharawat, at a house in Mae Hia, Mueang district, Chiang Mai, before searching a company office in Suthep, Mueang district.
Police seized 19 accounting documents, four records linked to payments for cloud computing platforms, 22 email-related documents, one credit card copy, three mobile phones, one notebook computer and one desktop computer. The suspect was charged with jointly infringing copyright for commercial purposes through reproducing, adapting and publicly distributing films without authorisation.
Investigators said the case followed Thailand’s participation in “Operation Awan Merah” at the Interpol Global Complex for Innovation in Singapore. The operation focused on the MyIPTV4K platform and formed part of the Interpol Stop Online Piracy programme, known as I-SOP.
The international effort involved the Royal Malaysia Police, South Korea’s National Police Agency, South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the United States Homeland Security Investigations agency. Authorities said they jointly analysed digital and financial evidence before obtaining a warrant from Chiang Mai Provincial Court and launching simultaneous raids in Thailand and Malaysia.
Police said Akkharawat denied all charges. Officers also stated that background checks showed he had previously faced a copyright infringement case in 2018.
In Malaysia, officers searched three locations in Selangor and seized digital devices including computers, laptops and mobile phones allegedly used to manage the application. Authorities there charged Long Chin Hwang and his wife, Hu Siew Liew, directors of Alula Marketing Sdn Bhd, which provides web design, graphics, automation systems and electronic products.
The Malaysian suspects denied accusations linked to operating and selling access to the MyIPTV4K application through the “Unimax Pro” e-commerce account. Thai police said websites offering pirated films can also expose users to online fraud, with customers paying membership fees but receiving limited access.
The Daily News reported that Lt Gen Nattasak said such piracy operations damage copyright owners, the entertainment industry and the country’s investment image by reducing incentives for creators and artists to produce new work. Authorities in both countries are continuing legal proceedings and examining seized digital evidence for further links to international cybercrime networks.
Pictures courtesy of Daily News
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Adapted by ASEAN Now Dailynews 29 May 2026
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