Cuttack, Aug. 6: Nine persons were arrested during raids conducted by city police last evening for being involved in the business of producing pornographic and pirated compact discs.

Over 2,600 discs, besides computers and other equipment, were seized. A peon of the Board of Revenue (Settlement) has also been arrested for running a racket of pornographic and pirated discs at Kathagada Sahi. Sources said the peon, Ganesh Moharana, 40, was involved in manufacturing pirated and pornographic discs for the past six months.

Four computer CPUs, each having seven to 15 multi-copier facilities, one laptop and about 1,500 compact discs were seized from his house during the raid. Moharana used to supply the pornographic and pirated discs to various shops both in the city and outside.

“Nine persons were arrested from the city during yesterday’s drive,” said deputy commissioner of police S. Praveen Kumar. He said the drive was launched at various places in Badambadi, Madhupatna, Lalbagh, Mangalabag and Puri Ghat. All the nine accused have been booked under sections 420, 292(A) and 63 of the Copyright Act, 1957, Section 6 of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986, and Section 7 of the Cinematograph Act, 1952.

“The drive against sale and manufacturing of pirated and pornographic discs will continue in the city in the coming days,” Kumar said. Sources in the police said Cuttack still remained the hub of the state’s piracy market, particularly for manufacturing of pornographic discs that have a wide consumer base in rural pockets.

Though the consumer base of pornographic discs is on a decline in urban areas because of increasing Internet penetration, there is extensive demand for such content in rural areas. A lot of people are involved in the manufacturing and selling of pornographic discs to the rural areas of the state from Cuttack and Bhubaneswar.

In 2010, the police had busted a disc piracy unit that was operating from Khatbin Sahi area within the limits of Lalbagh police station. Two persons were subsequently arrested, while over 10,000 pirated discs, including 9,000 pornographic discs, and multi-copiers were seized during the raid.

Apart from pornographic discs, pirated versions of many Bollywood movies are also easily available in the market.