Highlights
- Vietnamese authorities have arrested seven individuals responsible for operating HiAnime (formerly Zoro.to and AniWatch).
- Investigators claim the group managed more than 100 piracy websites and uploaded over 26K unauthorized titles between 2020 and 2026.
- The operation involved cooperation between Vietnam’s C03, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, MPA, and ACE.
Vietnamese police have arrested seven people behind the running of the HiAnime website, one of the world’s largest anime piracy websites. According to state-linked outlet Báo Hà Tĩnh, the Department of Investigation of Crimes related to Corruption, Economics, and Smuggling (C03) has started legal proceedings against the seven accused following the arrests on July 2, 2026.
The accused are currently being investigated for copyright infringement and money laundering charges. Investigators stated that the group built and operated more than 100 piracy websites, including HiAnime and its predecessors, zoro.to and AniWatch.
Between the time period of 2020 and April 2026, the group has reportedly uploaded over 26K unauthorized pieces of content and collected roughly $12.85 million USD in ad revenue from the pirated websites.
The arrests provided the first official explanation for HiAnime’s disappearance. The site went dark on March 13, 2026, displaying only a farewell message that read, “It's time to say goodbye,” eventually fueling speculation that legal action might have forced its closure.
The Closing of HiAnime, One of the Largest Anime Piracy Websites
HiAnime, which drew millions of monthly visits from fans across the globe, was not a single, static operation. Reportedly, the site began as Zoro.to, then rebranded to Aniwatch.to in mid-2023.
It was rebranded again as HiAnime in March 2024 amid site-blocking orders in India, one of the largest anime audience. After rebranding as HiAnime, the site had a traffic boost, recording more than 300M visits in September 2024, following the crackdown on another competitor piracy site, as per Torrent Freak.
Since then, the site has been under the target of the Motion Picture Association (MPA) and the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), recognizing it as a serious threat to legalized anime property distributions. Both associations confirmed the arrests on July 2.
HiAnime Shutdown: Seven Accused Arrested
According to Bao Ha Tinh, C03 acted with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, MPA, and ACE to trace the operators. Among the suspects, Nguyen Dinh Minh Khoa, Nguyen Trung Anh, Nguyen Dinh Xuan, and Nguyen Hoang Thanh face copyright infringement and money laundering charges.
The other three suspects, Doan Thanh Luan, Nguyen Phuoc Toan, and Nguyen Khuong Duy, face copyright infringement charges. ACE emphasized in a statement that “Actions such as this demonstrate our determination to pursue all avenues to disrupt and dismantle illegal streaming networks.”
The arrests follow Vietnam’s Prime Minister, Lê Minh Hưng, announcing a nationwide crackdown on intellectual property infringement cases in May 2026. The country’s Ministry of Public Security was handling the investigations. Unlike earlier crackdowns built on domain blocking and site removal, the HiAnime case signals a shift toward criminal prosecution of the people running piracy operations.
