Two arrests after Bognor flat is raided

Police from the North West England regional asset recovery team and investigators from the British recording industry’s trade body alleged they had uncovered the UK’s biggest known counterfeiting operations when they raided two addresses on Tuesday, November 15 morning.

It is claimed they found more than 100 computer hard drives, an estimated 150,000 CDs and DVDs, computers and eight ‘multiple bay burning towers’.

The towers comprise equipment to counterfeit music, films and software.

A large catalogue of 25,000 titles for an extensive client list was also said to have been seized.

All the items were removed for forensic examination.

David Wood, the director of anti-piracy for the British Recorded Music Industry, said: “These arrests are significant in that it is one of the largest ‘domestic factories’ uncovered to date in the UK.

“It had the capability of manufacturing and distributing counterfeit product on a truly commercial scale.”

A 50-year-old local man was arrested at one of the addresses, a flat over a High Street shop. A local man, aged 23, was arrested at a house in Broomcroft Road in Felpham.

Both are suspected of conspiracy to contravene copyright laws and money laundering offences. They have been released on police bail until next June 5 while inquiries continue.