Mumbai: Hialeah, Florida a man was taken into custody after a lo-jack hit led the Hialeah Police Department’s Auto Theft Unit to a stolen vehicle at the man’s residence. Further investigation revealed that the suspect, Eduardo Martin, 21, owner of VIP Video Store located in Hialeah, was operating a pirate movie lab at his residence and, ironically, at his video store. Detectives also recovered 24 marijuana plants at Martin’s residence.

"This is an important case in two ways: it illustrates yet again that film piracy is often connected to other crimes – in this case, auto theft, and narcotics. Secondly, it is an example of thorough, alert and responsible policing that the Hialeah police department should be commended for," said North American Anti-Piracy Operations for the MPAA senior vice president and director Mike Robinson.

Detectives recovered multiple burning towers, nearly 2,000 counterfeit DVDs, and supplies for the production and distribution of thousands more DVDs, including 336 original legitimate DVDs used as master recordings at the defendant’s residence and video store. Investigators from the MPAA responded to the scene & verified both locations as DVD burner labs. The defendant remains in custody pending court proceedings.