Members Of OiNK Arrested By British Police

Six former members of OiNK, a file-sharing website which shut last year, have been arrested by police.

Five men, aged between 18 and 33, and a 28-year-old woman were arrested in relation to uploading pre-released music, police said.

The individuals were detained between May 23rd and 28th but details have only just been made public.

OiNk was closed last October by Cleveland police in a joint operation with Interpol.

The operation – which united British and Dutch police forces – came after the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) revealed that the members only download site had already leaked sixty pre-release albums in 2007.

A 24-year-old man was arrested at the time in connection with the operation. He is currently on bail on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and infringement of copyright law.

OiNK operated by allowing its users to swap files using BiTorrent protocol. A sister site, called BOiNK, was established following its closure.