P4M worth of pirated DVDs seized in Makati

MANILA, Philippines - Some P4-million worth of pirated digital video discs (DVDs) containing pirated movies were seized Friday afternoon in a raid of stalls inside the Makati Cinema Square.

According to Supt. Jaime Santos, head of the police team deputized by the Optical Media Board (OMB), the raid was conducted by combined personnel of the Makati Police and the OMB at about 1:30 p.m.

Santos said the raid was personally led by OMB chairman, actor Ronnie Ricketts.

Santos said seized in the raid were 32 sacks of DVDs, mostly pirated movies, music and pornographic materials.

"The raid was done following a complaint made by the nearby Don Bosco School about the pornographic material being sold at the stalls," said Santos.

Santos said no vendor was arrested during the raid as they all scampered as soon as the raiders arrived.

According to Santos,  some of the pirated DVDs were even stashed by the vendors inside the mall's comfort rooms.

In January, the Makati Police also helped in  an OMB-led raid on stalls selling pirated video and software discs also at the Makati Cinema Square.

In that raid, some  P22-million worth of pirated movies and computer software were seized.
 
Police said the seized DVDs in that raid contained  assorted fake movies and software that  could fit 200 sacks of rice.

The pirated software and movies were taken from 75 stalls inside the old mall. Police said no replicating machines were found inside the stalls.