The IPTV "pezzotto" distribution center was in Naples, and it couldn't have been otherwise. It was at Flora Giannello's home, on Via dell'Abbondanza in Marianella. It was discovered in 2017. And from there, the investigations began that led to the international raid that dealt a severe blow to the millionaire's managers. parallel pay-TV market. During the searches carried out yesterday morning against the promoters of the organization that managed the “pirate TVs”, Christos Papaoikonomu, inventor and manager of the Xtream Codes platform, was arrested in flagrante delicto in Thessaloniki: the man was found in possession of over 110.000 euros in cash, cryptocurrencies and several power plants. The operation was carried out in collaboration between the Italian Guardia di Finanza and the Greek Police under the coordination of the European agency Eurojust. “At the moment, no links with organized crime have emerged, but the investigations are continuing and the financial flows in particular will be carefully evaluated”. This was underlined by Colonel Giovanni Reccia, commander of the Special Unit for the Protection of Privacy and Technological Fraud of the Guardia di Finanza, in the press conference on the results of the international operation “Black IPTV” which allowed the dismantling of a platform that illegally offered the viewing of all the main Pay TVs in exchange for a modest monthly subscription. One of the Neapolitans defined as key men in the investigation is Francesco Maccarelli who in the G1 island of the Centro Direzionale of Naples had a real archive of what is the “pezzotto” market. According to the investigating judge Fabio Provvisier: “It is here that material of investigative interest attributable to Maccarelli was found, considered the head and promoter of the association”, the one who holds the reins of all the participants, based on the roles covered by each and who maintains contacts with the foreign subjects. Every year, movements for six and a half million euros were carried out”. The other Neapolitans and Campanians involved in the investigation are Gianluca Menditto, to whom according to the investigating judge "as many as 695 season tickets can be traced back" and who also has a leading role. And also Maurizio Destradis, alias 'diablo', Stefano Sottile, alias zetasever/tulipanonero; Domenico Bonanno, alias 'visitorsat', Antonino Osca Bonin 'Vanescar'; Patrizio Danza 'Proff', Vito De Marco 'Ulisse', di Luigi Marrano 'Naccaro'; Fabrizio Chitano 'Belzebù'; Pasquale Greco 'sbudi'; Roberto Sanfilippo 'Sanrob'; Luigi Provitera 'Evolution team', Nicky Mangion 'Megaloman'; Giuseppe Lazzara 'Gaetano'; Giuseppe Pellegrino 'team r1no' and Alfio De Clò 'alfaromeo 56′.
The damage caused to the public and private television sector was “immense” by the television piracy system dismantled by an international police operation. This was stated by Filippo Spiezia, Italian delegate at Eurojust, during a press conference held in The Hague. “Thousands of jobs have been put at risk” by that system, he added, after explaining the progress of the operation that led to the closure of around 200 servers in Germany, France and the Netherlands. In Italy, the platform was used by at least 5 million users who, for just 12 euros a month, could enjoy sports and drama on Sky, Mediaset, Dazn, Netflix, Infinity and all the main Italian and foreign Pay TV channels. “It is a system,” added Valeria Sico, deputy prosecutor in Naples, “much more advanced than those developed in the past.”
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