La Romaine man held with 461 illegal CDs

IN ANOTHER crackdown on music piracy, a Southern businessman was arrested after police raided his businessplace and seized 461 “burnt” (illegally produced) compact discs (CDs), on Tuesday. The 34-year-old La Romaine man has since been questioned and released by police pending an inventory by officials of the Copyright Organisation of Trinidad and Tobago (COTT). Reports stated around 11 am, a party of officers from the San Fernando Task Force, led by ASP Shaheed Mohammed, raided the businessplace at Church Street, La Romaine, and seized the illegal music.

The 34-year-old man was arrested and taken to the San Fernando CID where the officers contacted COTT. However, the officials were unable to come to the station and requested that the officers bring the CDs to Port-of-Spain. Investigations are continuing. This is the second “bust” of this nature this year. Last Thursday, members of the Copyright Organisation of Trinidad and Tobago (COTT) and officers of the Chaguanas Police Station seized close to 10,000 CDs and seven CD burners from the home of Central businessman Roger Stone. Stone has since pleaded guilty to the offence and will know his fate when he reappears before a Chaguanas magistrate on January 21.