US operation puts pirates on ICE

A massive operation executed by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency yesterday saw 32 federal search warrants executed on business across 16 states.

Agents from 22 ICE offices took part in the raids, which aimed to put a halt to the illegal importation, sale, and distribution of "modification chips and circumvention devices."

It was the biggest operation of its kind to take place in the US to date, and took in businesses, commercial buildings and residences in places as diverse as California, New York, and Hawaii.

According to the US Chamber of Commerce counterfeiting and piracy is estimated to cost the US economy between USD 200-250 billion annually, and results in the loss of up to 750,000 jobs.

Yesterday's action was the result of a year-long investigation by the ICE office in Cleveland, but no results have yet been made public.