12 Gang members arrested in Italian raids

Rome, 29th May 2008

Rome Fiscal Police have arrested 12 members of an organised criminal gang involved in the distribution of pirate CDs and DVDs. The arrests, which took place in Naples and Milan, followed several months of investigation by the police.

A series of raids uncovered six illegal pirate factories, five in Naples and one in Milan, which contained 350 burners. More than 70,000 CDs and DVDs were seized during the raids, alongside more than 100,000 counterfeit inlay cards.

The gang members have been charged with conspiracy and copyright infringement and now face jail sentences of up to six years. The Italian authors' society SIAE provided technical assistance to the Fiscal Police.