The authorities arrested two men and seized three compact disc (CD) and video compact disc (VCD) duplicating machines today as part of a new crackdown launched against the makers of pirated CDs and VCDs, an official said.

The focus was now o­n manufacturers, distributors and producers, not just peddlers, said Rosik Yakub, chief operation officer of the domestic trade and consumers affairs ministry.

Lengthy investigation and surveillance of the area led the anti-piracy enforcement officers to raid a factory just south of the capital. They seized three machines worth RM4 four million and detained two men for further questioning, he said.

Rosik said the machines were able to produce 60,000 pirated discs per day.

"If we are able to get their storage facilities and factories, then we'll be able to wipe them out," he said.

Peddlers underground

Rosik said patrols of areas known for peddling pirated movies -- including the Chinatown district of Petaling Street in the capital -- have forced many peddlers underground.

"It's very hard to get them now. They are not doing it in the open anymore," Rosik said, noting that some may have suspended their sales altogether while the government cracks down o­n piracy.

The government o­n Monday launched an intensive nationwide crackdown o­n piracy to curb the sale of pirated and pornographic movies in the country.

A pornographic home video featuring a Malaysia Airlines flight steward and his female colleagues sparked a recent public outcry over the availability of smut, which also spurred the government crackdown.

More than 100,000 pirated discs were seized in raids in the capital and in northern Penang state in the first day of the blitz.

Continuous war

Rosik said enforcement officers would focus o­n fixed premises and shops during the day while night-time would be reserved for cracking down o­n sidewalk stalls operating in the open.

"This is a never-ending story. We will keep working o­n this until we are satisfied. We must whack out the piracy in the market," he said.

Pirated discs are widely available in Malaysia, where blockbuster hits are readily sold even before their Hollywood premiere, sometimes for as little as RM3. AFP