Hong Kong / Bangkok – The Motion Picture Association’s (MPA) anti-piracy initiative in Asia Pacific, Operation Blackout, seized 25,000 optical discs as well as arrested two men and three women from its Jan 7 raids on two distribution centers and 11 retail outlets located in Banmoor, Bangkok. Of the discs seized, 6,000 infringed MPA member company titles including Alien vs. Predator 2, American Gangster and I am Legend. MPA also contacted other rights owners from foreign and local film and music industries to identify the remaining pirated products under the strategy of total enforcement and co-operation. 22 officers from the Economic & Technological Crime Suppression Division (ECOTEC) headed by Commander General Visuth Vanichburta as well as MPA representatives conducted the operation. The Bangkok raid follows similar action in Pingtung, Taiwan, under Operation Blackout that runs till end-Jan 2008 in 13 countries across the region. Separately, the High Court in Hong Kong has ordered five pirated VCD production lines seized in 1998, each worth HK$3 million, to be forfeited. The three owners faced jail terms ranging from 21-30 months. MPA provided examination of the seized property and maintained full litigation support through the decade-long case. The VCD production lines were seized ten years ago by Hong Kong Customs and Excise during raids on factories Wah Lee Multi-Media Co. Ltd. and Maytronic Industrial Co. Ltd. In addition to the production lines, the authorities net 109,663 VCDs and 36 stampers, out of which 71,115 VCDs infringed 13 MPA member titles and five stampers used to replicate MPA member titles. The total value all seizures was estimated at HK$18.3 million (US$2.35 million).