HiAnime case: Seven arrested months after anime piracy giant shut down
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HiAnime case Photograph: (X)
Authorities in Vietnam have reportedly arrested seven people allegedly behind HiAnime's operations. Read to know more details.
HiAnime was one of the world's largest and most popular free anime streaming websites before it permanently shut down in early 2026. The platform was previously known as Zoro.to and Aniwatch.to. Months after HiAnime, once the world's largest anime piracy website, abruptly went offline, authorities in Vietnam have arrested seven people allegedly behind its operations.
Seven arrested in HiAnime case
The arrests follow a years-long international investigation supported by the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), the U.S. Department of Justice, and Homeland Security Investigations, marking one of the biggest anti-piracy actions against anime streaming platforms in recent years.
HiAnime is officially over, following the arrests of its operators four months after the infamous anime-streaming website's shutdown. The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) has officially confirmed the arrests of several HiAnime members who formerly ran the world's biggest anime piracy streaming website.
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"The only anti-piracy coalition powered by the Motion Picture Association" (MPA) confirmed the arrests of seven HiAnime members via its official LinkedIn account. The statement read, "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 Hianime and related piracy series."
The statement further read, “From information provided by the investigation agency, the US Department of Homeland Security, and the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment/Motion Picture Association of America, C03 coordinated with relevant units to clarify acts of intellectual property infringement involving copyright and related rights in copyright and uploading of films online.”
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All about HiAnime
HiAnime was the world's largest unauthorised, free anime streaming website. It allowed users to watch tens of thousands of subbed and dubbed anime episodes. Unlike official paid platforms, it required no subscription fees or user accounts and provided both English-subtitled and English-dubbed versions. It hosted a highly organised, comprehensive catalogue of Japanese anime, movies, and TV shows.
The platform featured a vast library of both classic hits and the latest simulcasts. Popular shows and major franchises featured on the platform include One Piece, Black Clover, Classroom of the Elite, Jujutsu Kaisen, Demon Slayer, Chainsaw Man and My Hero Academia, among others.
