Armed with a search warrant issued by Judge Felixberto Olalia of Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 8, WMMCIDT chief Superintendent Nelson Yabut and his men swooped down on the Alphahad Lodge located at Norzagaray corner Bautista streets in Quiapo at about 3:30 a.m.
The raiding team seized four VCD replicating machines, 43 CD writers, 11 packs of pirated VCDs, one box of VCD cover labels, two boxes of blank CDs each containing 700 discs, 23 boxes of assorted VCDs and CDs each containing 200 discs, six sacks of assorted VCDs and CDs with 500 discs per sack and three colored television sets inside a room at the second floor of the inn.
The targets of the raid, identified as Mohammad Ali, Sania Salo and Mohaimin Salo, were able to elude arrest, Yabut said.
A search of the room was witnessed by barangay officials, he added.
The seized items, estimated to be worth more than half-a-million pesos, will be turned over to concerned government agencies, while corresponding charges will be filed in absentia against the alleged operators of the illegal trade.
Yesterday’s raid was the second in Quiapo following weeks of intensive surveillance on establishments suspected as the source of pornographic VCDs.
Last week, Yabut and his men raided a four-story building in Quiapo, resulting in the arrest of two persons and the seizure of several duplicating machines, CD writers, and thousands of pornographic VCDs.
The police anti-smut squad had been tasked by Manila Mayor Lito Atienza to go after makers of pornographic VCDs, which are openly sold on the sidewalks of Raon, Carriedo and Evangelista.