Seen On

• Aug 29, 2007 7:27 pm US/Eastern
• Digg | Facebook | E-mail

  Close WindowE-mail This Page

  DVD-Sniffing Dogs Make Major Piracy Bust In Queens

  Required fields are marked with an asterisk(*)

  ---

  • Recipient E-mail:* 
  • • Your Name:* 
    • Your E-mail:* 
  • Add a Message:
  •   Send me a copy of this e-mail.

  • Type the characters in this picture:* Click here to refresh with new letters

  ---

  The information you provide will be used only to send the requested e-mail and will not be used to send any other e-mail communications. Read more in our Privacy Policy

  Send E-mail

  | Print

DVD-Sniffing Dogs Make Major Piracy Bust In Queens

Police Seize Thousands Of Illegal Discs In Three Jamaica Outlets

NEW YORK (CBS) ― Just one day after a pair of black labradors were unveiled by the Motion Picture Association of America as the world's first-ever DVD-sniffing dogs, the pair didn't waste time in cracking a major case of piracy in New York City.

The globe-trotting canine cops are now being credited for their work in a counterfeit DVD bust in Queens.

"Those who are involved in the manufacture and distribution, and the sale of these counterfeit products rip off not only the motion picture industry, but they rip off all of us as well," said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown, who announced the seizure of thousands of illegal discs from three retail outlets in the Jamaica section of the borough.

Three men were arrested in the bust, which can be credited to the two dogs, Lucky and Flo.

"They went down to a basement that was filled floor to ceiling with boxes and luggage, the dogs walked around.. there was literally hundreds of boxes that were there.. they sniffed out three boxes and one suitcase that were filled with pirated dvd's," said MPAA Executive Vice President John Malcolm.

Lucky and Flo are the first animals that can detect the scent of plastic in CDs and DVDs. It's a skill that helped them in an investigation in Malaysia known as "Operation: Double Trouble," where nearly $4 million in pirated DVDs were taken off the streets.

It's a skill that comes with a price, however. A Malaysian pirate syndicate put a bounty of close to $30,000 on their heads.

"If they can kill an informant and shoot one of our investigators, I'm not surprised that they would threaten these very valuable dogs," Malcom said.

Lucky and Flo will be in New York City for the rest of the week, before heading off to work in Canada. As for the Jamaica bust, the suspects could now face up to four years in prison.

(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)