MUMBAI: The Alliance Against Copyright Theft (AACT) seized nearly 17,759 pirated DVDs/CDs in Mumbai-Thane region during the Diwali week of recently released films like Golmaal 3, Action Replayy and Due Date.

Besides the DVDs and CDs, 12 DVD writers and 3700 inlay cards were also seized, making the overall seizure in South & North Mumbai worth nearly Rs 4.3 lakhs.

AACT continued its scheme of conducting strategic raids with the help of the local Police force on movie pirates and made nine arrests, confiscating more than 7,800 pirated DVDs in South Mumbai itself and about 10,000 in North Mumbai-Thane region during the Diwali weekend.

Most of the raids have been conducted based on the information received on the toll-free number. The Police force and the enforcement agencies have conducted their first raid at JJ Flyover & Dahisar East. The team arrested two accused near JJ Flyover & three accused in Dahisar East.

Another raid that was carried out by AACT along with the local Police in Ulhasnagar at a warehouse on 3 November, 2010, helped the team to seize 12 DVD writers and 3700 inlay cards.

Although the enforcement agencies are concentrating on curbing piracy by raiding roadside vendors of local stations at Dadar West, Goregaon West, Bhayender & Dahisar, they have also actively identified warehouses which supply DVDs to the roadside vendors. The raids at Ulhasnagar & JJ Flyover were concentrated at burner labs & warehouses. The objective of these raids is to curtail the illegal copying of DVDs & protect the entire film fraternity.

Motion Picture Association of America India managing director Rajiv Dalal said, “AACT has been dealing with piracy very seriously for a while now. The Indian film industry was pinning its hopes on the Diwali releases like Action Replayy & Golmaal 3 to boost the box-office revenue. With the long Diwali weekend, sale of pirated DVDs was anticipated to rise. Our enforcement agencies have been alert throughout the festive week and have done a brilliant job.”