Full list of areas in UK set for ‘dodgy box’ police raids

Around five million people in the UK have illegally streamed sports

The ‘dodgy stick’ involves a modified Amazon Fire Stick (which is legal), but with an illegally downloaded application which provides access to live TV, series and films from all around the world for a fraction of the subscription cost to legitimate streaming sites.

Using these devices is against the Fraud Act and can lead to fines.

Meanwhile, distributing the software can lead to prison time.

The use of these sticks in an illegal manner has been becoming ever more present in the UK, often appealing to people due to the high price of subscription sports TV and entertainment services.

Dodgy sticks allow people to watch any content from any service all in one place, however, of course illegally.

It is thought that around five million people across the UK have accessed sports broadcasts illegally.

A spokesperson for National Trading Standards previously warned: "Accessing pirated content through illegal TV fire sticks undermines the UK's entertainment industry, putting its talented workforce and supply chains at risk by depriving them of fair earnings and revenue. It also puts consumers at risk by exposing them to illegal software that can put their data and bank details in jeopardy.

"An important reminder to all those who buy and sell TV firesticks is that crime does not pay, it breaches copyright law and we encourage people to report suspected cases to the Citizens Advice consumer service."

Now, as 2026 gets underway, police and anti-fraud squads are once again cracking down on these 'dodgy boxes' in 17 areas across the UK.

It's believed that almost five million people across the UK have accessed illegal sports broadcasts, with organisations including the Premier League, Sky and FACT (Federation Against Copyright Theft) collaborating with authorities to stamp out the practice.

Kieron Sharp, Chairman of FACT, said: "Together with our partners we will continue to identify and take action against Illegal IPTV service providers. They are breaking the law, making criminal profits and putting consumers at real risk of malware, data loss and identity theft.

"We want to protect consumers from these risks and operations such as this ensure the message goes out. It is not scaremongering; these are real criminal actions which consumers and their families are exposed to. These investigations and operations will continue this new year."

The 17 locations reported by the Mirror and Manchester Evening News as being subject to a crackdown are as follows:

• London
• Kent
• Sussex
• Norfolk
• Northamptonshire
• Lincolnshire
• Derbyshire
• Staffordshire
• East and West Midlands
• Greater Manchester
• Cheshire
• Merseyside
• Northumbria
• North Yorkshire
• South Wales
• North East England
• North West England