in-cyprus 19 June 2024
A British man who went on the run in Cyprus after being convicted of selling pirate TV boxes has been arrested.
Michael Hornung, then 38, from Hyde, Tameside, was sentenced in June 2022 to four and a half years in prison for selling unauthorised decoders, selling articles for use in fraud, and advertising unauthorised decoders for sale.
Hornung failed to appear for sentencing at Minshull Street Crown Court, which heard he had fled to occupied north Cyprus, a territory with which the UK has no extradition treaty.
On June 2, 2024, Hornung was arrested by Cypriot authorities following an operation by the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) and agreed to be extradited to the UK to serve his sentence.
Hornung is estimated to have sold around 2,700 set-top boxes between January 2014 and January 2017. He supplied equipment that allowed customers to access subscription TV, including pay-per-view events such as boxing, without payment, through an account named ‘NoHatsNoTrainers’, which advertised the devices for sale on a website called CS-world.
The operation is estimated to have generated around £350,000, with an estimated loss of approximately £2 million to the media companies.
Tom Dowdall, NCA Deputy Director International, commented, “Hornung thought fleeing overseas would mean he would never have to face his crimes. However, the NCA’s international network regularly shares intelligence and works closely with overseas partners to apprehend those on the run.”
“After liaison with law enforcement officers in Cyprus, Hornung has been returned to the UK to serve his sentence,” Dowdall concluded.
(With information from Manchester Evening News)
