Vietnam Arrests 7 Suspects Behind Streaming Site HiAnime on Piracy Charges

As part of its ongoing crackdown on intellectual property infringement, Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security has taken down a major network of websites involved in illegal anime streaming. On July 1, the Economic, Corruption and Smuggling Crime Investigation Police Force (C03) charged seven individuals for alleged copyright infringement, with four also facing money laundering charges. The police investigation revealed that from 2020 until April 2026, five members of the group created over 100 websites that hosted and provided streaming services for more than 26,000 series and movie titles without authorization from IP owners. The operation reportedly generated approximately US$12.85 million (VND308.4 trillion) in ad revenue before its shutdown. While the streaming websites underwent several name changes over the years, their most recent iteration was HiAnime, a well-known media archive offering features akin to Netflix. According to the police, group members were paid by foreign advertising companies in cryptocurrency. This crypto was then laundered through intermediaries before being transferred to their local bank accounts. To conceal the origins of their earnings, they also purchased cars and real estate. The crackdown by C03 was initiated based on intelligence from US organizations, local media reports, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Motion Picture Association (MPA), and the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE). Vietnam has been intensifying its efforts to combat piracy and strengthen intellectual property rights in recent months, a move directly influenced by complaints from the United States Trade Representative (USTR). In April 2026, the USTR designated Vietnam as a “Priority Foreign Country” for the first time in 13 years. This designation triggers a 30-day period for the USTR to decide whether a formal investigation is warranted. Ambassador Jamieson Greer stated in May, “While Vietnam has recently taken some steps toward addressing IP concerns that the United States has chronicled over many years in USTR’s Annual Special 301 Report, IP infringement in Vietnam continues to impair the competitive position of U.S. innovators and creators. We need to see Vietnam resolve these long-standing concerns, including on a range of IP enforcement issues, in a manner that is sustained and that deters future IP infringements.” Japan also has a vested interest in Vietnam’s anti-piracy initiatives. In July, Kyodo News reported that the Japanese government plans to utilize Official Development Assistance (ODA) to support 10 developing nations in their efforts to curb piracy of Japanese anime, games, and manga, including piracy hotspots in Southeast Asia like Indonesia and Vietnam. Government data indicates that Japan suffered losses of JPY10.4 trillion last year from illicit media sharing and counterfeit merchandise. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will begin assessing local needs in August, with funding expected to be available from April 2027. Top image via Lao Động.