Customs officers have arrested two men and three women for auctioning pirated goods online, seizing $80,000 worth of merchandise.

Officers worked with Internet service providers to track down the culprits aged 20 to 37. Two were jobless, two housewives and one a student. Some were caught when they were about to mail goods at post offices. Officers posing as buyers netted the rest.

The seizure included 437 counterfeit handbags and accessories, 134 pirated Japanese and Korean television series discs, 16 sets of infringing past examination papers and tutorial class notes, and five computers.

The Customs & Excise Department launched the e-Auctioning with Integrity Scheme in November 2005, with participating Internet service providers closely monitoring goods on their sites and taking prompt action to remove items upon copyright or trademark owners' notification. So far more than 31,000 copyright or trademark-infringing items have been removed.