AfterDawn: News

UK DVD Pirates Jailed

Two men, Dino Simm and Sidney Austin have been jailed for four years for selling pirated movies in the UK. The ring was smashed by police following an 18 month investigation. They sold over 400,000 copies of movies including Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter movies, accumulating around £3 million in just two years. Their actions have cost the movie industry millions in lost revenue. The pirate DVD's were being shipped to the UK from crime gangs in Malaysia. Apparently, these discs were disguised as blank CD's to be smuggled into the UK and were known to damage the laser in DVD players after a few plays. The DVD's were sold for about £10 and usually at the time of selling; the movies were still in cinema or not even in cinemas yet, like Spiderman 2.

When police raided the house the pirates used as their headquarters they found a room piled floor to ceiling with 26,000 DVD's. The pair used their illegal profits for first class travel, casinos and fast cars. When people were buying DVD's from these people, they didn't know that their money was actually funding crime gangs in Kuala Lumpur. They were Britain’s biggest pirate DVD suppliers. This activity is becoming more popular in every country now. In Ireland, people actually go door to door selling pirate DVD's. Usually the sellers are under 18 being sent around by adults with DVD's. After I got my hand on a couple of the DVD's, I found that they came from the Internet, were very badly re-encoded and burned on Princo DVDR's which are very cheap because they lack quality.



Source:
ThisIsLondon.co.uk

Written by: James Delahunty @ 1 Nov 2004 9:09

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• 11 comments

• Toiletman

  Quote: When police raided the house the pirates used as their headquarters they found a room piled floor to ceiling with 26,000 DVD's I could build a whole house with that... ö
  
  3 Million in two years is a lot of money. They must've sold A LOT a day. Usually professional jobs, such as a lawyer, businessman, or even working at MacDonalds gives you more income than becoming a pirate. I wonder why these guys didn't choose the safer "but a little slower" path.

  1.11.2004 11:13 #1

• bobiroc

  Damn, There goes my suppliers. j/k

  1.11.2004 11:33 #2

• Nephilim

  These are the kind of jagoffs they need to concentrate on busting. Seems like they got better and more productive results versus suing downloaders but hey, we're talking retarded corporate people here aren't we?

  1.11.2004 12:27 #3

• MXGzX

  I just laugh at the stupid people who buy them when you can easily download them :)

  1.11.2004 13:18 #4

• MXGzX

  I just laugh at the stupid people who buy them when you can easily download them :)

  1.11.2004 13:18 #5

• punx777

  people are so damn stupid....
  
  
  
  thats pretty bad coming from a JUNIOR member...MXGzX.
  i hope a mod catches you saying things like that

  1.11.2004 13:36 #6

• Dela

  Whats wrong with what he's saying? if someone is going to buy a pirate DVD then they sure as hell would take one for free, he;'s just pointing out they are dsumb enuff to keep paying for them when its freely avbailible worldwide.

  2.11.2004 08:37 #7

• john179

  Can you imagine the warehouse where the police stock this stuff.I believe they store the stuff in the same warehouse as all the cigs and beer brought in from France illegally.Rumour has it two police men went in to this warehouse two years ago with a ash tray a glass and a dvd player.Neither have been seen since.

  2.11.2004 08:55 #8

• Nephilim

  Good one John :)

  2.11.2004 10:41 #9

• john179

  Hey Nephilim my sources tell me one has made an appearence but only to pick up a console they forgot to take in with them.
  
  Cheers.

  2.11.2004 10:57 #10

• Soulreave

  jeez. dont u think the police have more dangerous criminals to arrest.
  
  drug traffic'ers, child prostitution rings, illegal alchohol/cigarettes being imported

  3.11.2004 05:53 #11