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La Voz de Andalucía

Major Illegal Japanese Manga Network Dismantled in Almería

The National Police has blocked an illicit repository that had been operating since 2014, generating millions in advertising revenue.

Image of a computer screen with code and digital graphics, with a manga character silhouette in the background.
IA

Image of a computer screen with code and digital graphics, with a manga character silhouette in the background.

The National Police in Almería has dismantled the largest illegal Spanish manga distribution network, which had been operating since 2014 and generated over four million euros in profits through advertising.

Officers from the National Police have dismantled an online service dedicated to the illegal dissemination and distribution of manga in Spanish. This platform, active since 2014, boasted millions of users worldwide and generated profits exceeding 4 million euros through an advertising system featuring pop-up windows with pornographic content. Three individuals have been arrested in Almería as alleged perpetrators of a continuous crime against intellectual property.
The investigation began in June 2025, following intelligence regarding the potential existence of an online platform offering illegal access to manga content. Initial inquiries revealed it to be the largest Spanish-speaking manga repository, systematically providing unauthorized and free access to a massive volume of works protected by intellectual property rights since 2014. The portal had become the primary reference for manga piracy in Spanish, with millions of monthly accesses and significant international reach, causing severe damage to rights holders, publishers, translators, and the cultural industry as a whole.
The monetization system relied on the constant appearance of pop-up windows every time a user interacted with the website. This model, given the high volume of traffic, generated substantial economic income for the administrators, exceeding 4,000,000 euros, obtained exclusively through advertising. A significant portion of this advertising was pornographic, creating considerable social issues, as many users were minors.
During the search of the main suspect's home in Almería, officers discovered a complex technological infrastructure dedicated to maintaining the platform. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the detainee was developing a new complementary website, whose launch was thwarted by police intervention. Two USB devices, hidden inside a wall thermometer, were also seized, containing cryptocurrency cold wallets with a value exceeding 400,000 euros.
The operation has garnered significant international relevance due to the platform's strong presence across the Spanish-speaking market. Its dismantling has had an economic and reputational impact on the publishing sector, eroding legal exploitation channels and discouraging investment in content creation, editing, translation, and distribution. The platform's closure has also generated widespread repercussions on social media, reflecting its high degree of penetration and popularity.

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