Gardaí in Dundalk, Co Louth, have smashed one of the most organised DVD and CD counterfeiting operations north and south of the Border, following the seizure of just over €1 million of counterfeit goods at the weekend.
It was the largest seizure of counterfeit CDs and DVDs ever in the State.
Significantly, Dundalk gardaí also recovered six machines which were being used to copy the disks. It was the first time such machines have been recovered by gardaí in the Republic.
Each copying machine had seven CD decks and was capable of making six copies of a DVD or CD every 20 minutes, or €13,500 worth every hour between the six machines.
The seizure brings to €5.5 million the value of counterfeit goods seized so far this year, compared with €2.9 million for all of last year.
The scam was being run by a Dundalk family who are well known to gardaí. One family member, a 22-year-old woman, was arrested and detained during the weekend raids. She has since been released, and a file is being prepared for the DPP.
Her partner and parents are also suspected of involvement in the operation. Gardaí believe the €1 million haul was destined for the Christmas market. They have ruled out any involvement by subversives.
It is understood the blank CDs and the copying equipment had been brought into the State from the UK, and that the operation had been ongoing for up to a year
A team of four uniformed Dundalk officers began a series of raids at 10 p.m. on Friday.
By 8 a.m. on Saturday a total of nine premises had been raided in Dundalk town. As well as the €1 million-plus haul and the copying machines, gardaí also seized a €75,000 jeep which is believed to have been used to distribute the counterfeit goods.
The officers were acting on intelligence and had been conducting a surveillance operation.
They had hoped to detain a number of people but it is understood those suspects failed to show for a meeting, which gardaí planned to raid.
The arrested woman was engaged in copying CDs when the gardaí raided the premises.
It is estimated counterfeiting accounts for more than €300 billion in lost revenue for EU companies every year. The annual cost to Irish firms is put at €750 million by Revenue's anti-counterfeiting group.
