Kim Dotcom Arrested
New Zealand police on Saturday revealed bizarre details of the arrest of the suspected kingpin of an Internet copyright theft case against the James Bond-like backdrop of a country mansion hideaway with electronic locks, a safe room and a pink Cadillac.
German national Kim Dotcom, also known as Kim Schmitz, was one of four men arrested on Friday, a day before his 38th birthday, in an investigation of the Megaupload.com website led by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The group was accused of engaging in a scheme that took more than $500 million away from copyright holders and generated over $175 million in proceeds from subscriptions and advertising.
A police official said dozens of officers, backed by helicopters, forced their way into the mansion, nestled in lush, rolling farmland, after Dotcom refused them entry, a scene more reminiscent of a high-octane spy drama than the usual policeman’s lot in rural New Zealand.
“Despite our staff clearly identifying themselves, Mr Dotcom retreated into the house and activated a number of electronic-locking mechanisms,” said Detective Inspector Grant Wormald from the Organised and Financial Crime Agency New Zealand.
Officers broke the locks and Dotcom barricaded himself into a safe room which officers had to cut their way through to gain access.
“Once they gained entry into this room, they found Mr Dotcom near a firearm which had the appearance of a shortened shotgun,” he said. “It was definitely not as simple as knocking at the front door.”
ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM
Two firearms were seized and a 55-year-old New Zealand man has since been charged with illegal possession of a pistol. Computers and documents were also retrieved and more than NZ$10 million ($8 million) was seized from financial institutions.
Television footage showed vehicles, including a pink Cadillac and a Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe, being removed from the property.
The house where Dotcom was arrested was one of the largest and most expensive in the country, worth around NZ$30 million.
via Kim Dotcom: Police Cut Way Into Mansion To Arrest Megaupload Founder.
