(The Hollywood Reporter) — A raid of piracy operations in Hong Kong led to the arrest of 18 members of a leading organized crime gang and the seizure of 128 DVD-R and CD-R burners at 10 sites, the Motion Picture Assn. reported Aug. 9.
After a year-long investigation, the raid conducted by 150 officers from the Hong Kong Customs Special Task Force hit an optical disc-burning lab, warehouses and pirate retail outlets said to be controlled by the Wo Shing Wo triad society, a syndicate known to be involved in illegal gambling operations.
The MPA said Hong Kong customs officials estimated that the seized burners, if in operation 24 hours a day, could produce more than 11 million pirated discs in a year valued at more than $8.5 million.
“The continued outstanding efforts of the Hong Kong Customs & Excise Department send a clear message that Hong Kong is committed to the fight against intellectual property theft,” said MPA’s Mike Ellis, VP and regional director, Asia-Pacific.
