Over 1,000 counterfeit DVDs have been seized during an undercover sting by Stockport Trading Standards officials - amid claims the crime could be funding terrorism.
Some £25,000 worth of the bootlegged DVDs, CDs and PlayStation games were uncovered being sold cut-price at a car boot sale in Heaton Mersey on Sunday.
The criminal counterfeit racket can see punters get their hands on cheap, knock-off copies of the latest blockbuster movies - even before they are officially released on DVD, and in some cases before they reach the cinemas.
According to Trading Standards, DVD piracy is a lucrative part of a wider network that involves criminal gangs, drug dealers, people smugglers, paedophiles rings and even terrorists.
Reports suggest it is an easy and less risky way for gangs to raise funds for other criminal activities. But although selling pirate copies is an arrestable offence, many people see the purchase of these goods as a victimless crime.
Chris Madeley, team manager of Stockport’s Trading Standards, said: "If people knew their money could go to fund drugs or other major crimes, even terrorism, then you have to think would it still be such an innocent crime and would they still buy them?"
Councillor Hazel Lees, Stockport Council’s executive member for the environment, added: "Clamping down on illegal trading protects innocent purchasers from being ripped off with poor quality goods with no guarantee. It also helps to fight more serious criminal activities by cutting off their sources of income."
The undercover operation was part of a major crackdown by the local authorities to stamp out piracy in the borough.
Officers swooped on the grounds of Burnage Rugby Club as traders were caught red-handed selling DVDs for just £4 - including unreleased titles such as ‘Spiderman 2’, ‘Thunderbirds’ and ‘Shrek 2’. More than 500 CDs and 80 Playstation games were also seized and legal action against the sellers is being pursued.
