Police launch major raid against CD pirates in Mexico City

Tepito, 28 February, 2007

The Mexican authorities have completed a week long anti-piracy operation in the district of Tepito in Mexico City that resulted in the seizure of more than 130,000 CD-Rs it was announced today.

A squad of 350 police officers, 120 special agents from the investigations bureau AFIS and 20 prosecutors launched raids against nine laboratories and 16 warehouses across the district. As well as the CD-Rs, the raids netted 232 CD-R/DVD-R burners and 200,000 counterfeit inlay cards.

The raids mark a serious blow to the pirate groups that dominate the Tepito flea market and demonstrate the sheer scale of music and film piracy in the area. The local industry anti-piracy team provided vital logistical support for the raid.

Fernando Hernandez, head of the Mexican music industry association Amprofon, said: "We congratulate the Attorney General's Office, federal and local police for another job well done."