Five people have been arrested and $1.5 million in pirated goods seized by Customs officers.

With help from Guangdong customs officers, three incoming lorries were checked at Man Kam To Control Point and 5,000 optical discs, 1,000 handbags, 4,000 pairs of sports shoes and 15,000 telephone accessories were seized. Three drivers, aged 45 to 53, were arrested.

Officers then arrested two men, aged 22 and 29, in Sham Shui Po when they allegedly received some of the infringing goods.

The Customs & Excise Department said similar parallel operations, with instant exchange of intelligence between the two customs administrations, will continue to clamp down on piracy and protect intellectual property.

Under the Copyright Ordinance, anyone possessing or importing any pirated article for commercial purposes faces a fine of $50,000 per disc and four years prison. Under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, anyone importing goods with forged trademarks is liable to a $500,000 fine and five years prison.