"If this haul was recovered anywhere in the UK it would be
impressive – but it's nothing short of remarkable considering that
this operation was completed by one of the smallest police forces
in the UK," said David Martin, Director of Anti-Piracy with the
British Phonographic Industry.
Starting last Friday, the BPI, local Trading Standards Officers
and the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) worked with the
force's Computer Crime Unit to raid two markets and 28 addresses in
the Stirling, Tullibody, Falkirk, Grangemouth and Alloa areas of
Central Scotland.
"We've done smaller raids in the region before, but nothing on
this kind of scale," said the BPI's anti-piracy investigator for
Scotland, Pat Ferguson. "Plus, it serves as a far bigger deterrent
when we're able to raid their houses. The most determined pirates
have nothing but contempt for the law and would be out flogging
fakes days after being bailed if we didn't seize their means of
production."
The haul is particularly timely given the expected annual boom
in counterfeit trade during the Christmas period. In all, over £10
million in counterfeits were recovered, including 3,992 music CDs,
2,979 videos and DVDs, 1,452 discs of pornographic images and
software, and duplication equipment worth tens of thousands of
pounds.
"We have carried out several operations but this is our biggest
yet," said David Nolan, spokesman for the Computer Crime Unit of
Central Scotland Police. "The message could not be much clearer –
anyone who is caught dealing in counterfeit crime should be warned
that maximum penalty for such activities is 10 year
imprisonment."
"I would urge people to think twice before buying cheap DVDs and
computer equipment. They should remember that they are actually
funding organised crime gangs," he added.
