Chai, flanked by Yow (right) and Mustafa speaking at the press conference.
KUCHING: Police will now go after the mastermind of syndicates that distribute pirated and pornographic DVDs/VCDs in the state in order to curb this social menace.
State Police Deputy Commissioner Datuk Dr Chai Khin Chung said police had switched their focus to the masterminds as previous attention on the employees did not produce the desired results.
“All this while, our attention was on the workers. From now on, as instructed by our deputy public prosecutor, we will focus on investigating the mastermind behind the syndicates.
“Otherwise, the police worked very hard but did not produce the desired result and impact,” he told a press conference at state police headquarters here yesterday.
State CCID chief Supt Yow Kok Khiang and his deputy DSP Mustafa Kamal were present.
He said the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) had succeeded in confiscating pirated and pornographic DVDs/VCDs worth RM34,352 in an operation dubbed ‘Special Ostrich Operation’ recently.
During the three-day statewide operation that was launched on Feb 27, police confiscated 4,862 DVDs/VCDs, comprising 4,756 pirated DVDs/VCDs and 106 DVDs/VCDs pornographic DVDs/VCDs.
“Thirty raids were conducted and 38 local suspects were apprehended in the three-day special operation. Most of the arrests were from Kuching.”
From the many suspects nabbed, Chai did not discount the possibility that demand for pirated and pornographic DVDs/VCDs was high.
“If there is no demand, there will be no supply. So, when there are more shops (selling pirated and pornographic DVDs/VCDs), it could possibly show that the demand is increasing.”
Chai said what worried him was that many youths, especially school leavers aged between 18 and 26, who were either awaiting for their school examination results or jobs, were arrested during the operation.
“I would like to advise parents to look after their children well because their children’s future will be affected if they have criminal records.”
Chai said from 2013 to February this year, state police arrested 422 suspects in 407 raids conducted on premises selling pirated and pornographic DVDs/VCDs.
“During this period, a total of 48,955 units of DVDs/VCDs were confiscated, comprising 44,967 pirated DVDs/VCDs and 3,988 pornographic DVDs/VCDs. Their value was estimated at RM354,649.”
He said as of March this year, 178 cases were charged in the court, while the rest would be charged after receiving the verification report from the Home Ministry’s Film Censorship Board.
In smaller districts and rural areas, the cases would be charged when the circuit court convene.
Chai said these cases were being investigated under the Film Censorship Act 2002 and Penal Code (Act 574).
Meanwhile, Chai said the peaceful protests held in Kuching, Bintulu, Miri and Serian against the recruitment of 12,000 Bangladeshi workers for the state were conducted in an orderly manner.
“I was informed four protests were held. They had applied for permits, and the OCPDs (district police chiefs) issued permits after the organiser promised to hold the protest peacefully, and they fulfilled their promise.”
He said police would consider the permit application of those who wanted to hold peaceful protest, adding that permit would be granted if there was no issue with security and public order.