Major pirate market raided in Argentina

3rd November 2008

The Argentine coast guard has raided the notorious La Salada market and seized enormous amounts of counterfeit product. The Economic Crime Unit of the coastguard executed numerous search warrants on several warehouses around the market in the suburbs of Buenos Aires on 15th and 16th October.

The raids followed a year-long investigation and targeted imported products entering the Port of Argentina with suspect invoices and undervalued goods that eventually ended up in the pirate markets across the country.

The operation yielded five million discs containing music and films, 175 music and film CD-Rs/DVD-Rs, 63 burners, two industrial printers and 200 master plates used in the replication of album covers. La Salada is well-known as a hub of pirate activity, including retail sales, wholesale distribution and unlicensed replication labs. The authorities have already identified some organised criminal syndicates that operate in the market.