3 Taiwanese arrested over pirated copies of 1st "One Piece" episode
Police in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, have arrested three Taiwanese individuals for possessing pirated copies of the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine containing the first episode of the popular manga series "One Piece" for the purpose of selling them.
Due to its rarity, this edition of Weekly Shonen Jump is traded at high prices on online flea markets and elsewhere.
The three Taiwanese, including a massage shop manager in the city of Nasushiobara, Tochigi Prefecture, eastern Japan, were arrested by Friday on suspicion of violating the magazine's copyright held by the publisher, Shueisha Inc.
They are suspected of possessing six pirated copies of the No. 34 edition of 1997, in which the One Piece series began, in a car parked outside the massage shop on Wednesday.
According to police sources, the three are believed to have been sending profits from selling pirated copies to their instructors, including in mainland China, for several years.
On Wednesday, Aichi prefectural police searched the massage shop and other locations linked to the suspects, seizing a total of about 500 items, including comic books and DVDs.
They are believed to have received pirated copies made overseas and engaged in product shipments and account management. According to investigative sources, they said they had earned millions of yen per month.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
