Ipswich teenager arrested for allegedly stealing songs from 'world-famous' artists
- Published
A suspected hacker has been arrested for allegedly stealing unreleased songs from "world-famous" recording artists and selling them for cryptocurrency.
The 19-year-old was arrested in Ipswich on suspicion of copyright and Computer Misuse Act offences.
It follows a raid on a property in Ipswich and another in north London.
The investigation was launched by prosecutors in New York after complaints from recording artists' management companies.
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance's office identified one of the suspects as living in the UK, and co-ordinated property searches with the City of London Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit, external.
Det Insp Nick Court said the stolen music was being sold on illegal streaming sites around the world.
"This sort of crime causes significant financial loss to those who work so incredibly hard to produce, write and make music for their fans to enjoy," he said.