In May 2002 the FBI and law enforcement agencies worldwide arrested members of the DrinkOrDie warez group in an operation named Operation Buccaneer. One member, Hew Raymond Griffiths who was arrested in Australia and transported to U.S.A. received a 51 month jail sentence for his part in the warez group.

Originally started in Russia in 1993 and operating from a channel on EFNet, the group quickly became a group with members worldwide. It specialized in cracking software, but also released films and music.

Griffiths, now 44 years-old, used the nickname Bandido and was one of the leaders of the group. After taking into consideration the time he was in jail in Australia fighting the extradition, 15 month are left in jail.

“Whether committed with a gun or a keyboard – theft is theft,” US Attorney Chuck Rosenberg for the Eastern District of Virginia said. “And, for those inclined to steal Intellectual Property here, or from halfway around the world, they are on notice that we can and will reach them.”

Worldwide 70 raids were conducted which resulted in 30 convictions in the U.S.A. and 11 in other countries.