In a significant escalation of the war against digital piracy, the Hyderabad cybercrime police have shifted their focus to a mysterious individual known only as 'Naveen'. This shadowy figure is suspected of operating two of the most resilient and widely accessed piracy platforms in India: 5movierulz and 1tamilmv. The investigation gains urgency as one of the four major Sankranti releases has already appeared on illegal sites, prompting renewed action from both law enforcement and the Telugu film industry.
The Elusive Operator and His Suspected Network
According to a cybercrime investigator involved in the case, Naveen's identity remains shrouded in mystery. Analysis of his communication patterns suggests he primarily chats with associates on Telegram in Tamil, with some Telugu and English, and rarely uses Hindi. This linguistic profile, combined with traces from cryptocurrency payments, points to a possible operational base in Sri Lanka. However, investigators caution that he once appeared to be logging in from Pakistan, likely due to the sophisticated use of VPNs and proxy servers to mask his true location.
The modus operandi mirrors other high-profile piracy cases. Like the arrested operator of iBomma, Ravi Emandi, Naveen is believed to be generating substantial revenue by redirecting the massive traffic on his sites to online betting and gambling platforms. This monetization strategy makes these piracy operations highly profitable, fueling their persistence despite ongoing crackdowns.
Major Films Fall Victim to Camcorder Piracy
The immediate trigger for the intensified probe was the illegal appearance of new releases. Notably, the Prabhas and Sanjay Dutt-starrer "Raja Saab", which hit theatres just last Friday, was swiftly uploaded. Even more alarming for the industry is the piracy of "Dhurandhar", the highest-grossing Indian film of 2025, which has not yet made its official debut on any OTT platform.
Police officials clarified that the current wave of leaks involves "camcorder prints" – low-quality recordings made secretly inside cinema halls. These recordings are primarily sourced from theatres in north and east Indian states before being uploaded to the sites. A senior officer confirmed that high-definition (HD) prints typically only surface online after a movie's official digital release on OTT platforms.
A Game of Digital Cat and Mouse
Fighting these piracy networks is a constant challenge due to their fluid nature. A representative from the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce's (TFCC) anti-piracy wing explained the tactics used by the sites. The domains for 5movierulz and 1tamilmv change almost weekly as internet service providers block them based on complaints. Currently, 5movierulz is using extensions like .doctor, with mirror sites such as 7movierulz.cl, while 1tamilmv operates under the .lc extension. This constant flux makes it difficult to measure exact traffic, but snapshot data is staggering.
A quick analysis of website traffic tools reveals the massive scale of the problem. In just the first ten days of January, 5movierulz attracted 18 lakh (1.8 million) visitors via search engines, with 80% originating from India. Its counterpart, 1tamilmv.lc, saw an even larger influx of 23 lakh (2.3 million) visitors in the same period, with a whopping 94% coming from within India. "That's a lot of moviegoers," the TFCC representative emphasized, highlighting the significant dent piracy causes to legitimate box office revenue.
This fresh focus on Naveen follows a series of successful arrests that have shaken the piracy underworld. Key figures like Ravi Emandi of iBomma, Cyril Infant Raj Amaldoss of 1Tamilblasters, and hacker-pirate Ashwani Kumar from Patna have been apprehended recently. While these operations delivered major blows, the domains allegedly run by Naveen continue to be a top concern for authorities due to their extensive reach across multiple languages, including South Indian languages, Hindi, Bengali, and English. The Hyderabad cybercrime unit remains hopeful that their sustained monitoring, aided by industry inputs, will soon lead to a breakthrough in unmasking and arresting this elusive figure.
