Pirate copies of Casino Royale seized in Scotland raid

Pirate copies of the new James Bond movie were among £350,000 worth of fake DVDs and CDs seized during a raid on a house in Stirlingshire, Scotland.

Thousands of discs were found at the address in Alloa following a tip-off from a member of the public.

They included DVDs of Casino Royale, which does not go on general release in the cinemas until Thursday.

Officers from Central Scotland Police said it was one of their biggest ever finds of fake goods.

A spokesman said no-one had yet been arrested over the haul, which also included copies of films such as The Queen, Black Dahlia, Open Season and Flushed Away.

Det Sgt David Nolan said: "The message could not be much clearer. Anyone who is caught dealing in counterfeit crime should be warned that the maximum penalty for such activities is 10 years' imprisonment.

"I would urge people to think twice before buying cheap DVDs and computer equipment. They should remember that they are actually funding organised crime gangs."

John McGowan, a senior investigator with the Federation Against Copyright Theft (Fact), said one of the discs recovered contained 95 music albums and illustrated the scale of the problem.

He added: "The operation was another major blow against organised crime in Scotland.

"Fact is determined to work together with Central Scotland Police and other enforcement bodies to ensure that we continue to disrupt the supply chain and affect the distribution of counterfeit films across Scotland."

Thanks to `Brokenclaw` for the alert.

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