BENTONG, Malaysia: For months, a small-time optical disc pirate hid from the authorities by operating from small room in a restaurant.

To evade detection, he also opened a shop renting and selling original VCDs and DVDs next to the restaurant.

The man would only sell a pirated DVD or VCD to his customer through a special hole hidden behind a sink in the restaurant.

His operation was uncovered when police raided the premises at 11.30pm on Sunday.

Police found four optical disc burners, three scanners and several items believed to have been used to duplicate the original DVDs and VCDs and their title covers.

Also confiscated were 1,714 DVDs and 99 VCDs of various titles.

State Commercial Crime Investigation Department deputy chief Deputy Superintendent Koh Ah Tiam said police arrested the peddler, in his 20s, who is being remanded for two days.

Initial investigations showed that the man was responsible for supplying pirated DVDs and VCDs in the district.

Koh said to date, state police had confiscated 37,942 pirated DVDs, 1,075 pornographic DVDs and 237 pornographic VCDs.