Hemel Hempstead Computer Games Pirate Meets His Match
Raid on Computer Games Pirates led by Hertfordshire Trading Standards Department and The European Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA)
Raid on Computer Games Pirates led by Hertfordshire Trading Standards Department and The European Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA)
A Hemel Hempstead man who was running a computer games racket is being questioned after being raided by Hertfordshire police. This action followed information received at another raid on a computer games piracy operation in Staffordshire, which led Trading Standards Officers and investigators from ELSPA (The European Leisure Software Publishers Association) to carry out a further raid at the home of the 24 year old in Hemel Hempstead. The Hemel Hempstead raid uncovered over 500 suspected copies of computer games with a retail value of over £30,000, along with two computer systems, a lap-top computer and a PlayStation console. The materials are now under examination and prosecution is being considered.
Terry Anslow, Chief Investigator of ELSPA said:
“ELSPA has a team of investigators across the country who share information and work with Trading Standards and Police to pursue criminals until they are caught”.
“Hertfordshire Trading Standards are to be congratulated on their superb efforts in protecting the consumers against computer games con artists and ensuring that the jobs of all those who work locally and nationally in the computer games industry are protected. Small local retailers are often the hardest hit by pirates. In many cases, the pirated games do not actually work on standard games consoles or they ruin the hardware and the person who has been cheated has absolutely no redress.”
He added:
“We have just launched a national advertising campaign to show people the ugly truth behind most counterfeit and pirate operations. In 80% of the raids that we carry out on computer games pirates, we find evidence of other criminal activity taking place, ranging from benefit fraud to drug dealing and even child pornography. The public response to the campaign has been immense and we have been flooded with calls from concerned members of the public. With the assistance of Trading Standards officers such as these here in Hertfordshire, we can and will beat these criminals.”
A Hemel Hempstead man who was running a computer games racket is being questioned after being raided by Hertfordshire police. This action followed information received at another raid on a computer games piracy operation in Staffordshire, which led Trading Standards Officers and investigators from ELSPA (The European Leisure Software Publishers Association) to carry out a further raid at the home of the 24 year old in Hemel Hempstead. The Hemel Hempstead raid uncovered over 500 suspected copies of computer games with a retail value of over £30,000, along with two computer systems, a lap-top computer and a PlayStation console. The materials are now under examination and prosecution is being considered.
Terry Anslow, Chief Investigator of ELSPA said:
“ELSPA has a team of investigators across the country who share information and work with Trading Standards and Police to pursue criminals until they are caught”.
“Hertfordshire Trading Standards are to be congratulated on their superb efforts in protecting the consumers against computer games con artists and ensuring that the jobs of all those who work locally and nationally in the computer games industry are protected. Small local retailers are often the hardest hit by pirates. In many cases, the pirated games do not actually work on standard games consoles or they ruin the hardware and the person who has been cheated has absolutely no redress.”
He added:
“We have just launched a national advertising campaign to show people the ugly truth behind most counterfeit and pirate operations. In 80% of the raids that we carry out on computer games pirates, we find evidence of other criminal activity taking place, ranging from benefit fraud to drug dealing and even child pornography. The public response to the campaign has been immense and we have been flooded with calls from concerned members of the public. With the assistance of Trading Standards officers such as these here in Hertfordshire, we can and will beat these criminals.”