Vietnamese authorities have announced the arrest and prosecution of seven suspects linked to **HiAnime**, a massive anime piracy streaming service that was shut down in June. The platform, which offered a vast library of English-subbed and dubbed anime without subscription fees, attracted hundreds of millions of visitors monthly. At its peak, **HiAnime** temporarily surpassed legitimate streaming services such as **Disney+** and **Crunchyroll** in web traffic between late 2024 and 2025. ### Evolution of a Piracy Giant The service initially launched on the **Zoro.to** domain. It later rebranded to **Aniwatch** (using **Aniwatch.to**) in July 2023, and then again in March 2024 to **HiAnime** (also known as **H!Anime**), operating under the **HiAnime.to** domain. Its immense popularity led to its inclusion on the European Commission's **Counterfeit and Piracy Watch List** and the United States Trade Representative's (USTR) **Notorious Markets list**. ### Charges and Financial Impact The seven defendants are charged with infringing copyright and related rights, as well as money laundering. Four suspects are currently detained, with the remaining three under house arrest. Prosecutors allege that the group created over 100 websites to host more than 26,000 pirated anime films, generating an estimated $12.85 million in illicit advertising revenue between 2020 and April 2026.  _HiAnime defendants (Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security)_ ### International Collaboration Lauded The **Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE)**, a coalition of over 50 global media and entertainment companies dedicated to combating illegal streaming, confirmed the law enforcement action. **ACE** expressed gratitude to U.S. authorities for their support in the multi-year investigation that led to these arrests. "**ACE** applauds the actions of Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security (**MPS**), in particular C03, the Economic Crimes Investigation Department, and A05, the Department of Cybersecurity and High-Tech Crime Prevention, in arresting and prosecuting seven operators believed to be behind **Hianime** and related piracy services," stated the **Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment**. **ACE** also thanked its partners, **Homeland Security Investigations** and the **U.S. Department of Justice**, for their ongoing support and looks forward to continued collaboration with the **MPS** on future anti-piracy efforts. This action follows another significant victory earlier this year when **ACE** announced the shutdown of **AnimePlay**, another major anime streaming platform that hosted over 60 terabytes of content and boasted more than 5 million registered users.