Korean customs officials target $87 million Nintendo software piracy ring

Korean Customs Service names 25 software pirates who sold 90,000 illegal Nintendo cartridges.

Korea customs agents are cracking down on retailers accused of selling more than 90,000 pirated Nintendo games and illegal copying devices, including R4 and DSTT cartridges, referring 25 people to state prosecutors for investigation.

The Korea Herald reports that the pirated games and cartridges, playable on the Nintendo DS and DSi, are worth an estimated $87.2 million USD, according to the Korea Customs Service. Illegally copied software bundles were sold between $35 and $87 a pop, according to the report, with up to 300 games stored on a single cartridge.

In May, Japanese officials began arresting shopkeepers and online resellers who sold R4 flashcarts, which enable easy piracy on Nintendo's bestselling handhelds, under the country's newly-amended Unfair Competition Prevention Act.

The Korean Customs Service alleges that some of the software pirates sold the DS games and devices through online stores, working out of internet cafes to evade authorities.