Largest haul of pirated DVDs seized

By: Taran Adarsh, IndiaFM
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
A raid by Ealing Council's trading standards team and police has netted more than £ 5 million worth of counterfeit goods, including the largest haul of pirate Bollywood DVDs in U.K. history.

Officers raided 11 units at the Shurgard self-storage site on Uxbridge Road at Hayes, near Southall, and seized 1.75 million items. The estimated 13 tonnes of merchandise included around 200,000 counterfeit Hollywood, Bollywood and pornographic DVDs, around 1.5 million cover sleeves, blank DVDs, CDs, fake Nike and Timberland trainers and counterfeit sports clothing. Around 75 per cent of all DVDs seized were Bollywood titles.

Four people were arrested and three cars were seized, with more arrests expected to follow. More than £ 6,000 in cash was also seized.

Named 'Operation Don' after Bollywood movie Don, the investigation was led by the Council's trading standards officers, assisted by Southall Safer Neighbourhood police teams and supported by the British recorded music body, BPI. It followed months of intelligence gathering by the three agencies.