PE police launch campaign to curb trade counterfeit goods

A massive clampdown on piracy syndicates operating in the Port Elizabeth area has been launched amid growing concerns of counterfeit goods.

Police commercial crimes group leader Superintendent Audrey Till said syndicates in the Port Elizabeth area were making huge revenue selling illegal copies of items such as DVDs and CDs to both distributors and members of the public.

She said no remorse would be shown for those participating in such activities and their seven-man team would ensure all illegal operators were caught and brought to justice.

“Last Thursday and Friday we searched and seized property from over seven address of which four were businesses and three residential.”

She said from the one business address over 3100 pirated CDs, DVDs and Playstation games were seized. “We seize all equipment we suspect was used to produce these goods, including their computers.”

She said the street sale value of items from the one business alone was over R50 000. In some places the sale of illegal goods was so prominent they had an order list.

“Some places have lists where orders are placed and people can choose which item they want.”

On most occasions computers were confiscated and the hard drives were analysed in order to establish whether they were actually used to facilitate the crime. “We take CDs, DVDs and computers.”

Once the goods were taken the officials from the Recording Industry of South Africa (Risa) were called in to analysis each disc and establish whether or not they were in fact counterfeit goods.

“We have caught people selling goods at the taxi ranks as well,” she said. Manufacturers, suppliers and distributors of these goods are going to be our target.”

Port Elizabeth-based Risa Anti Piracy officer Clinton Frieslaar said they had joined forces with the commercial crimes team in order to ensure smooth prosecution of these offenders. “There are plenty of syndicates operating in the Port Elizabeth area and we would like to crack all of them,” said Frieslaar.

He said they had noticed the trend where juveniles were the main offenders. However, it appeared that adults were also moving into such criminal activity.

“Piracy in the Port Elizabeth area is picking up quite fast mainly among juveniles,” said Frieslaar.

He added that in Port Elizabeth it had become “a headache” to catch these criminals.

The maximum jail time for a first offender is up to three years or a R5000 per item fine whereas repeat offenders could be sentenced up to five years‘ imprisonment or be fined up to R10000 per item.

“This can be changed by the court depending on the nature of the matter,” said Frieslaar.

He said the court was able to change the sentence if need be depending on the circumstances. “We have had cases where people have received far higher sentences.”

Despite the clampdown being eminent in the Port Elizabeth area, attempts to crack syndicates in East London are also on the go.

Last week, East London police confiscated two computers loaded with music still to be downloaded. The estimated value of the confiscated goods is R200 000.

So far the police have recovered 14000 CDs and DVDs and arrested 14 suspects in Peddie, King William‘s Town and Aliwal North.

Source: The Herald

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