Police raid smashes DVD piracy ring

6:00pm Saturday 17th June 2006

POLICE have smashed a top level DVD piracy ring following raids in Walthamstow and Chingford.

On Tuesday morning, officers arrested ten people believed to be involved in a large criminal network dealing in counterfeit DVDs.

Officers from the Metropolitan Police Service's film piracy unit swooped on a number of houses and businesses premises in Walthamstow and north Chingford at 11.30am.

The raids followed an operation helped by the Federation Against Copy-right Theft (FACT), the International Federation Phonographic Industries (IFPI) and the borough's Trading Standards department.

Two men and a woman were arrested in Waltham-stow.

It is believed a raid took place at a business in Hoe Street.

Industrial premises in Harlow, Essex, thought to be the supplier and sustaining the production of pirate DVDs by criminal gangs in the south-east and home counties, were also raided.

Three men were arrested there on suspicion of conspiracy to launder the proceeds of criminal conduct and conspiracy to produce counterfeit film products.

A further man in Harlow was arrested on suspicion of possession of a Class A drug. All seven were taken to an Essex police station.

No one was arrested in Chingford.

Another three men also arrested during the raids have been bailed to return to a police station at a later date.

Det Supt Trevor Shepherd, leading the investigation, said: "The arrests are key in closing down a large proportion of the film piracy industry in the south east.

"By working with our partners we have been able to take a pre-emptive strike against the top tier of a successful criminal network."