A garda involved in a multi-agency operation which resulted in the seizure of thousands of pirated DVDs and CDs at the weekend has warned parents to be careful after pornographic movies were discovered at an open-air market in Drogheda, Co Louth. They were inside what looked like Disney movie sleeves.
More than 4,000 DVDs were seized, and they included current US box office hits Dreamgirls and Apocalypto as well as Pat Shortt and Brendan Grace.
However, the officers were taken aback at how the stalls had been set out: pornographic movies were on display side by side with Disney movies. They revealed some of the cases which had picture sleeves belonging to children's movies in fact contained pornographic DVDs.
"We have found porn inside the cover of what looks like Walt Disney material, so parents as well as their children could be in for a shock as a result of buying this stuff," the garda said.
They sell for as little as €5 each and, if the goods seized had been bona fide, they would have been worth up to €95,000 in total.
The Drogheda market is extremely popular with locals. Sources suggest the people involved can make up to €1,000 a week from this market alone.
Gardaí are preparing a file for the director of public prosecutions and anticipate court appearances will follow.