The mastermind behind the notorious piracy website iBomma, Immade Ravi, has been arrested by Telangana Police, revealing a sophisticated operation that spanned multiple countries and involved massive data theft. Commissioner of Police Sajjanar disclosed shocking details about the accused during a press briefing.
Immade Ravi had obtained a driving license and PAN card in Maharashtra under the fake name of Prahlad Kumar. According to police investigations, he also acquired citizenship in Saint Kitts and Nevis, a Caribbean nation, to evade law enforcement agencies.
The accused operated from France and frequently traveled to Netherlands, Dubai, USA, Switzerland, and other countries while running his illegal operations. He used these international locations to design websites and upload pirated movies.
CP Sajjanar revealed that the iBomma website was launched in 2019. Ravi purchased 110 domains and hosted servers in Netherlands and other countries to avoid detection. He also managed several Telegram channels to distribute pirated content.
During the investigation, police discovered that Immade Ravi stored 21,000 movies on hard disks. The collection ranged from the 1972 release Godfather to recently released films. The operation also included 65 mirror websites to ensure continuous access even when main domains were blocked.
The financial scale of the operation is staggering. CP Sajjanar stated that Immade Ravi has earned Rs 20 crores through his piracy network. Police have seized Rs 3 crores from the total amount during the arrest.
A major concern highlighted by the police is the data breach risk. Immade Ravi possessed data of 50 lakh people, which poses a serious threat of cyber fraud. The accused was also redirecting users to betting sites through dozens of illegal betting websites and applications.
CP Sajjanar stated, “Immade Ravi had a criminal mentality even before. We will conduct a deep investigation into who is behind Immadi Ravi.” The police are now investigating whether other individuals or organizations supported this massive piracy operation.
The investigation continues as authorities work to identify potential accomplices and trace the complete network behind the iBomma operation. Police are also examining the financial transactions and international connections of the accused.
