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Dismantling of major Spanish-language manga piracy platform with $4.7M ad revenue

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1 unique sources, 1 articles

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Spanish law enforcement dismantled a long-running Spanish-language manga piracy platform active since 2014, resulting in four arrests and the seizure of assets valued at $4.7M in advertising revenue and over $470,000 in cryptocurrency. The platform provided unauthorized access to copyrighted manga works, monetized primarily through aggressive pop-up advertisements—including pornographic ads—exposed to millions of monthly users globally, many of whom were minors. A coordinated raid in Almería, Spain, uncovered a complex technological infrastructure supporting the operation and revealed an in-progress plan to migrate the platform to a new domain to evade enforcement.

Timeline

  1. 22.04.2026 18:06 1 articles · 1h ago

    Spanish police dismantle decade-old manga piracy platform with $4.7M ad revenue and cryptocurrency assets

    Spanish authorities dismantled a Spanish-language manga piracy platform operating since 2014, seizing $4.7M in ad revenue and $470K in cryptocurrency. A raid in Almería uncovered a complex infrastructure and an in-progress migration plan to a new domain. Four arrests were made, and the operation underscored significant financial and reputational damage to manga publishers and the cultural industry.

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Information Snippets

  • The dismantled platform operated since at least 2014 under the Spanish-language manga piracy ecosystem, serving millions of monthly users worldwide.

    First reported: 22.04.2026 18:06
    1 source, 1 article
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  • The platform generated over $4.7 million in advertising revenue through intrusive, high-impression pop-up ads, with a significant portion of ads being pornographic.

    First reported: 22.04.2026 18:06
    1 source, 1 article
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  • Authorities reported the platform caused serious financial and reputational harm to manga publishers, translators, and the broader cultural industry.

    First reported: 22.04.2026 18:06
    1 source, 1 article
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  • A suspect’s residence in Almería, Spain, was raided, where law enforcement discovered a complex technological setup supporting the platform’s operation.

    First reported: 22.04.2026 18:06
    1 source, 1 article
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  • Evidence included two USB devices hidden inside a wall thermometer, containing cold wallets with over $470,000 in cryptocurrency assets.

    First reported: 22.04.2026 18:06
    1 source, 1 article
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  • Investigators found the suspect was developing a second website as a contingency, possibly to replace the platform if disrupted. The migration plan was halted during the raid.

    First reported: 22.04.2026 18:06
    1 source, 1 article
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  • Four individuals were arrested in total during the enforcement operation, though specific roles were not disclosed.

    First reported: 22.04.2026 18:06
    1 source, 1 article
    Show sources