by Robyn Rosen MORE than 10 illegal DVD sellers have been arrested in a crackdown by police officers to sweep the crime off the high street. Chinese gangs are flooding Kilburn High Road with their counterfeit films but in recent week

by Robyn Rosen

MORE than 10 illegal DVD sellers have been arrested in a crackdown by police officers to sweep the crime off the high street.

Chinese gangs are flooding Kilburn High Road with their counterfeit films but in recent weeks, Kilburn Safer Neighbourhood Team has made a series of arrests, all leading in convictions.

Ai Chon Wang, 37, Xiao Ming Xu, 25, Ping Ye, 28 and Jin Wang, 36, were arrested on June 26 and sentenced to a mixture of custodial and suspended sentences.

Lin Weng, 31, Mei He, 34, Ai Zhen, 44, Qing Yu, 30, and Guang Mo Wang, 43, were arrested on May 2 and given 16-20 week prison sentences.

Kang Lin, 41, was arrested on July 5 and on Saturday another man was arrested and is awaiting trial.

Sgt Eddie Odita, of the Kilburn Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: "It's a continuous drive by the team to tackle the problem of illegal DVD sellers. We take this crime very seriously. We will continue to target them both in uniforms and plain clothes.

"We're also trying to encourage residents and users of the high street not to buy from these illegal sellers."

Robyn.rosen@archant.co.uk