Megaupload founder arrested indramatic police raid

Mon 23rd Jan, 2012 in International News

The founder of Megaupload.com, Kim Dotcom, celebrated his 38th birthday late last week by locking himself in a small room with a loaded shotgun at his $24 million, 25,000-square-foot mansion in Auckland trying to avoid the dozens of police officers who swarmed the mansion to arrest him for copyright theft.

New Zealand Police detective inspector Grant Wormald told reporters that the “Dotcom Mansion” features a large giraffe and rhinoceros sculpture, an extensive security system including three gates, manned security guards and security cameras. According to the New Zealand Herald the home also boasts “a heated lap pool is just off the master ensuite, boasting underwater speakers, imported spring water and a custom ladder worth around $15,000” and a graffiti-style painting of Dotcom and his wife was displayed on the wall of one room, which had about seven 60-inch television screens.

Although staff from New Zealand’s Organized and Financial Crime Agency say they clearly identified themselves during the raid, Mr. Dotcom fled to the safe room behind “a number of electronic-looking mechanisms” and so police were forced to cut their way through the locks to get to make the arrest.

Dotcom, also known as Kim Schmitz, has been charged with operating a criminal enterprise that distributes intellectual property and police reports indicate that two firearms and eighteen cars were also seized from his property. The cars seized from the entrepreneur/alleged criminal’s property include a 1959 pink Cadillac, a Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe and cars with attention grabbing (and controversy baiting) license plates including “HACKER,” “MAFIA,” and “STONED”.

The German native Dotcom settled in Auckland after investing NZ$10 million in government bonds in 2010 and personally funding the city’s 2010 New Year’s fireworks celebration. Opposition politicians in new Zealand have called for an inquiry into his residency application.

Megaupload was shut down last week for violation of piracy laws by US federal prosecutors following claims that the service has cost copyright holders more than $500 million in lost revenue. The FBI described the action against Dotcom and his the website as being “amongst the largest criminal copyright cases ever brought by the United States” and said it would target “the misuse of a public content storage and distribution site to commit and facilitate intellectual property crime”.

Dotcom is currently seeking bail however Judge David McNaughton has raised concerns about the discovery of shotguns on Schmitz’s property describing them as an “aggravating factor to bail application”.

Megaupload supporters Kanye West, P Diddy and will.i.am are yet to comment on Dotcom’s arrest.