Three Pakistani nationals have been arrested for trading in counterfeit digital versatile discs (DVDs) with an estimated street value of R7 million.
One of the suspects was successfully lured and arrested on the spot after attempting to bribe a South African Revenue Services (SARS) official by offering him R80 000 in exchange for 40 000 counterfeit DVDs in a monitored transaction close to Bruma flee market on Monday.
The confiscated DVD’s under discussion were seized at Bruma Lake on 27 August 2009 in a joint operation between the South African Police Service (SAPS), the Southern African Federation Against Copy Right Theft (SAFACT) and SARS customs.
Amongst the confiscated DVD’s were also counterfeit copies of a locally produced movie that had not appeared on the cinema circuit.
The suspects appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrate Court today and have not been formally charged. The case has been postponed for further investigations and a formal bail hearing has been set for the 8 October 2009 at the Johannesburg Magistrates Court.
Issued by: South African Revenue Service
8 September 2009
Source: South African Revenue Service (http://www.sars.gov.za/)
