3-Bedroomed Pirate 'DVD factory' Raided

Four men have been arrested after police raided a pirate DVD factory operating in an ordinary three-bedroomed house. Around 30,000 counterfeit DVDs worth hundreds of thousands of pounds were uncovered at the factory in Thamesmead, south east London, during the raids.


The 'factory' which could burn 1,000 DVDs an hour

Police found equipment capable of burning more than 1,000 DVDs in an hour and various machines for copying and packaging films.

DS Nigel Tolson of Bexley CID said: "There is no doubt that this ordinary three-bedroomed house in a quiet street was being run as an illegal operation.

"Thanks to the sharp eyes and alertness of three police constables, this operation has been uncovered and closed down."

Bexley police officers decided to investigate when they saw two men coming out of a house on Redbourn Road on Wednesday who seemed to be acting suspiciously.

When they approached the men to speak to them, another man opened the front door of the house but closed it again quickly.

Back-up officers with police dogs were called to the scene along with a police helicopter.
Police found equipment which can burn 1,000 DVDs in an hour.

Inside the three-storey town house officers found pornographic material and recent films, not out on general release, which would sell for three to five pounds on the street.

Kieron Sharp, Director General of the Federation Against Copyright Theft, said: "This was a major factory and its discovery will cause some serious disruption to piracy in the London area.

"Film piracy has proven links to organised crime and the scale of this operation shows the level of investment by criminal networks in this type of crime."

The four men arrested are being questioned at a south London police station.

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