Police have warned shops and supermarkets in Bermuda they face being landed with a $250,000 fine for selling fake goods. The warning comes after Police raided a Hamilton shop netting almost $1,000-worth of pirated DVDs, including summer blockbusters Snakes On A Plane and Dead Man?s Chest.

A number of pieces of equipment, including a computer and DVD burner together with packaging material, were seized from a property in Devonshire last week in connection with the illegal movies found in the city.

Detectives and Consumer Affairs officers are assessing the haul of pirate videos and preparing a prosecution case.

A complaint from the Motion Picture Association of America led to anti-fraud officers descending on a shop and taking possession of around 30 pirated DVDs and confiscating of DVD-reproduction equipment at a private address in Devonshire.

According to POlice, in other parts of the Island and in well-known grocery supermarkets fake designer-label items such as Louis Vuitton handbags, Burberry clothing and perfume, watches, jackets and DVDs are openly displayed on shelves.

?They are all being sold in contravention of the Copyright and Designs Act 2004. Even if the store owners say they don?t know, they are still committing an offence,? explained Det. Sgt. David Geraghty, of the Bermuda Police Force fraud unit.

Convicted forgers and retailers who sell bootleg goods can face tough punishment of up to ten years in jail and a $250,000 fine.

Most of the pirated DVDs are of poor quality, often filmed by a handheld camera in a cinema in the US then quickly sold in countries where the movie has yet to be released in theatres or for home sale or rental, said Det. Sgt. Geraghty.

?The quality is not good. As long as you have a home computer and something to burn DVDs ? and it does not cost much to buy a DVD burner ? it can be done quickly.?

He said in last week?s raid packaging material, plastic covers, Cellophane wrappers, computers and storage material was seized and confiscated, as is allowed by law.

The swoop on the shop is the first case of its type for the Consumer Affairs department.

It may be the first of many as anti-fraud officers have spotted a number of shops, including some well-known supermarkets, selling fake designer-branded items.

Det. Sgt. Geraghty said: ?There are quite a few places on the Island that are doing this. When we receive a complaint we act upon them.

?Some people will say that they did not realise it was illegal. We know there are large grocery stores that are selling copyrighted articles.

Police and Consumer Affairs officers are planning to visit other retailers who are known to be in breach of the law.

?The word the Police and Consumer Affairs want to get out there is that if people commit these offences they will be prosecuted.?

Money that is illegally made through selling fake goods and pirated films have been linked to underworld gangsters and even al Qaeda, said Karen Marshall, Consumer Affairs executive officer.

?A lot of people believe they are not going to get prosecuted because they think Bermuda is so far away (from everywhere else) and no-one is going to come and prosecute them.

?This appears to be something that is increasing. The market is being saturated by these knock-offs.?

She said the forgers were taking away from the people who had worked to create a desirable product and get it trademarked, but added as a warning to any buyers of the cheaper goods that they are likely to find themselves owning something of inferior quality that is unlikely to last.

In a bid to catch out the crooks anyone who suspects fake or pirated goods are being sold is asked to contact the Consumer Affairs department.