The Garda operation against gangland crime yesterday led to the arrest of three people and the seizure of what is possibly the largest DVD-pirating laboratory yet discovered here.
It is believed that the plant had the capacity to produce 600 DVDs an hour, and sources said it was so large it would have been able to supply half of the black market in Ireland, which last year was worth about €59 million.
The planned search was carried out by gardaí working as part of Operation Anvil along with members of Infact, the anti-copyright-theft organisation.
Acting on information and surveillance, armed gardaí raided a disused mushroom farm at The Commons, Duleek, in Co Meath, yesterday afternoon.
"It was like an Aladdin's cave of piracy, and we believe this is the largest ever uncovered in the country," said an industry source.
The copying was being done on 15 towers, which each contained a total of 90 DVD-burners. It was running for approximately 14 hours a day and more than 8,000 pirated DVDs were seized along with 25 printers, which were copying movie sleeves.
It was described as a "well-organised cover operation", with beds and food suggesting it could have been used around the clock.
"This could have produced three million DVDs a year, and we feel this is the linch-pin in the production side of the black market.
"Last year the industry lost €115 million by pirates churning out these DVDs, and we know that the pirates pocketed €59 million as a result of that last year alone," the industry source added.
All the DVDs were being shipped out of the plant to be sold in open-air markets around the country.
A man and two juveniles were arrested for alleged breaches of the Copyright Act and taken to Blanchardstown Garda station.