Updated: Sun Nov. 27 2005 7:19:38 AM

CTV.ca News Staff

Four police agencies seized millions of dollars worth of illegally produced DVDs in Toronto on Saturday.

RCMP and Canada Customs officers joined officers of the Toronto and York region police forces to raid three shopping malls in the GTA.

In total, they seized 150,000 discs with illegally copied movies. Theatres are currently showing some of the films, like the new Harry Potter movie. Normally, studios only release DVD versions of major movies after screenings have finished in theatres.

The motion picture industry calls the bust a historic event.

"That's the largest seizure that has been done for counterfeit DVDs in Canada," said Serge Corriveau of the Motion Picture Distributor Association.

Police arrested 15 people in Scarborough during raids on a shopping centre at Brimley and Sheppard, The Pacific Mall and First Market Place. Police raided 13 stores. They also shut down labs where they believe pirates were manufacturing DVDs.

Police hope the raids send a message to people involved in movie piracy.

"I'm hoping that word-of-mouth will spread enough that people will stop working for the companies that are selling these DVDs. I believe that will have an effect," said Detective Constable Dwayne King.

While police consider this bust to be a major accomplishment, they know movie piracy will not go away right away.

"Will people still manufacture the DVDs? Yes. But if they can't get someone to sell them … or work in the stores where they are being sold, then we've solved the problem," said King.

The movie industry says illegally produced DVDs represent $35 million in losses each year in the Toronto area alone.