2,462 pirated tapes seized

PALEMBANG, South Sumatra: Local police have confiscated a total of 2,462 pirated cassette tapes during the last three months, a police source said.

Palembang township police detective chief, Maj. Ike Edwin, said yesterday that 1,462 of the tapes were confiscated Monday night.

"We have destroyed 1000 of the tapes already," he said.

The cassette tapes were confiscated from 12 illegal shops, whose owners said that they got them from Jakarta, Antara reported.

Edwin said that confiscation of the tapes was now the only punishment law enforcers could deal to the businessmen. "We do not detain anyone, since piracy does not have a serious impact," he said, without mentioning copyright laws the Indonesian government is promoting.

Antara did not say if the pirated songs were local or Western. (sur)