Authorities in Egypt have helped dismantle what is believed to be the world’s largest illegal sports streaming network, Streameast, in an operation announced on Sept. 3 by the US-based Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE). 

The global anti-piracy coalition said the takedown capped a yearlong investigation and marks a milestone in the battle against digital piracy — with Streameast’s network logging over 1.6 billion visits in the past year.

Details: The action followed arrests made on Aug. 24 in El-Sheikh Zaid, a suburb of Giza west of Cairo, where Egyptian law enforcement detained two men suspected of running the operation, per the publication The Athletic. Investigators seized laptops, smartphones, cash and credit cards linked to the network. 

At the same time, authorities also uncovered ties to a shell company in the United Arab Emirates allegedly used to launder over $6 million in advertising revenue since 2010, plus an additional $200,000 in cryptocurrency. Multiple properties in Egypt are also suspected of having been purchased with the illicit funds.