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CNN Live Today
Harry Potter Heist
Aired June 17, 2003 - 11:23 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, you might call this one Harry Potter and the case of the vanishing volumes. British police say that someone made off with thousands of copies of the latest installment of the blockbuster series which is due to come out on Saturday, details in this report from CNN's Margo Ortiguez (ph).
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARGO ORTIGUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This doesn't look like a place for a vanishing charm but (unintelligible) someone made more than 7,000 copies of the fifth "Harry Potter" book disappear from here, no easy feat considering each book is almost 800 pages long and weighing a whopping two pounds each.
Police believe a truck containing almost $250,000 worth of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" was taken from this warehouse. It was found a few miles away its cargo missing.
JEREMY BAKER, RETAIL EXPERT: It's really amazing to steal a book, even a children's book, why would anyone want to do that?
ORTIGUEZ: But really the Harry Potter series is anything but just kiddy literature. It's become the biggest event in publishing history. The last four books have sold more than 190 million copies in 55 languages and 200 countries. Two blockbuster movies have been made from them and author J.K. Rowling has joined the list of the world's richest women.
BAKER: We've got used to the idea that the revolution in children's reading that Harry Potter has brought on has also brought on a revolution in book marketing. The book industry doesn't know what hit it.
ORTIGUEZ: Big plans are still underway all around the world for the book's official release Saturday midnight, including a candlelight bookstore, a treasure hunt, magicians, major celebrity parties, and a live webcast from London's Royal Albert Hall.
And, as for those stolen books, make no mistake smuggle police warn anyone revealing contents of the book before Saturday faces criminal prosecution. Margo Ortiguez, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And now joining us by phone from Liverpool with more on the Harry Potter heist is Caroline Foran. She is press officer with the Mercyside Police. Ms. Foran, it's come to stealing children's books now there is it?
CAROLIINE FORAN, MERSEYSIDE POLICE: I think these are very, very profitable children's books though. They are so very, very popular.
HARRIS: No question about that.
FORAN: I think that people think that they are probably very lucrative for them but, as you mentioned in your bulletin, if anyone is seen to be selling these on the black market they will be prosecuted.
HARRIS: Is that why you think they were stolen for sale before the deadline or after?
FORAN: I think probably they know that they could possibly make more money before the deadline on these books than they could do beforehand but I know that no reputable book shop will actually take these stolen goods and actually sell them.
So, I think that what we are possibly at is seeing them in market stalls and (unintelligible) sales over the next, over the coming days. But I mean we have got the police officers out looking for them and we will prosecute anyone who is seen to be selling or indeed buying them.
HARRIS: All right, Caroline, considering just how much publicity was circulating around this, the coming out of this book, there are injunctions against publishing anything or even talking about what the plot is on the air. What kind of security was there in place for this, any truck that might be carrying books?
FORAN: The books were, they were stolen from a warehouse who have their own security measures and I know that they did have their CCTB operational which we are actually looking at the CCTB footage as we speak to see if we can get a clear picture of the offenders.
There was also security guards surrounding the depot and then the books were due to be transported to a super store where they were waiting to be unveiled. There was significant security surrounding them.
HARRIS: OK, interesting. What about if someone were found to have one of these books or have bought one of these books on Saturday after the official release date has actually come and passed then what is the penalty for that?
FORAN: I mean if we can determine that they are definitely stolen goods we will still prosecute even after the release date on Saturday. I think it's going to be difficult when you've got so many legitimate books that are actually on sale come Saturday to distinguish which were the stolen ones and which weren't, so hopefully before then we will have some leads and we'll have caught the culprits beforehand.
HARRIS: Very interesting. Before we let you go, any idea what one of those books right now before Friday what it's worth?
FORAN: Sorry?
HARRIS: Any idea what one of these books right now before they're released on Friday what one book might be worth?
FORAN: Oh, I couldn't possibly speculate but I imagine there are some pretty wizard hungry children that would probably pay a lot of money for them.
HARRIS: And some adults as well. I can tell you that from this newsroom. Caroline Foran thank you very much.
FORAN: OK.
HARRIS: We're going to try to stay in touch with you on this case and see how things play out in the days to come, take care and good luck.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired June 17, 2003 - 11:23 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, you might call this one Harry Potter and the case of the vanishing volumes. British police say that someone made off with thousands of copies of the latest installment of the blockbuster series which is due to come out on Saturday, details in this report from CNN's Margo Ortiguez (ph).
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARGO ORTIGUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This doesn't look like a place for a vanishing charm but (unintelligible) someone made more than 7,000 copies of the fifth "Harry Potter" book disappear from here, no easy feat considering each book is almost 800 pages long and weighing a whopping two pounds each.
Police believe a truck containing almost $250,000 worth of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" was taken from this warehouse. It was found a few miles away its cargo missing.
JEREMY BAKER, RETAIL EXPERT: It's really amazing to steal a book, even a children's book, why would anyone want to do that?
ORTIGUEZ: But really the Harry Potter series is anything but just kiddy literature. It's become the biggest event in publishing history. The last four books have sold more than 190 million copies in 55 languages and 200 countries. Two blockbuster movies have been made from them and author J.K. Rowling has joined the list of the world's richest women.
BAKER: We've got used to the idea that the revolution in children's reading that Harry Potter has brought on has also brought on a revolution in book marketing. The book industry doesn't know what hit it.
ORTIGUEZ: Big plans are still underway all around the world for the book's official release Saturday midnight, including a candlelight bookstore, a treasure hunt, magicians, major celebrity parties, and a live webcast from London's Royal Albert Hall.
And, as for those stolen books, make no mistake smuggle police warn anyone revealing contents of the book before Saturday faces criminal prosecution. Margo Ortiguez, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And now joining us by phone from Liverpool with more on the Harry Potter heist is Caroline Foran. She is press officer with the Mercyside Police. Ms. Foran, it's come to stealing children's books now there is it?
CAROLIINE FORAN, MERSEYSIDE POLICE: I think these are very, very profitable children's books though. They are so very, very popular.
HARRIS: No question about that.
FORAN: I think that people think that they are probably very lucrative for them but, as you mentioned in your bulletin, if anyone is seen to be selling these on the black market they will be prosecuted.
HARRIS: Is that why you think they were stolen for sale before the deadline or after?
FORAN: I think probably they know that they could possibly make more money before the deadline on these books than they could do beforehand but I know that no reputable book shop will actually take these stolen goods and actually sell them.
So, I think that what we are possibly at is seeing them in market stalls and (unintelligible) sales over the next, over the coming days. But I mean we have got the police officers out looking for them and we will prosecute anyone who is seen to be selling or indeed buying them.
HARRIS: All right, Caroline, considering just how much publicity was circulating around this, the coming out of this book, there are injunctions against publishing anything or even talking about what the plot is on the air. What kind of security was there in place for this, any truck that might be carrying books?
FORAN: The books were, they were stolen from a warehouse who have their own security measures and I know that they did have their CCTB operational which we are actually looking at the CCTB footage as we speak to see if we can get a clear picture of the offenders.
There was also security guards surrounding the depot and then the books were due to be transported to a super store where they were waiting to be unveiled. There was significant security surrounding them.
HARRIS: OK, interesting. What about if someone were found to have one of these books or have bought one of these books on Saturday after the official release date has actually come and passed then what is the penalty for that?
FORAN: I mean if we can determine that they are definitely stolen goods we will still prosecute even after the release date on Saturday. I think it's going to be difficult when you've got so many legitimate books that are actually on sale come Saturday to distinguish which were the stolen ones and which weren't, so hopefully before then we will have some leads and we'll have caught the culprits beforehand.
HARRIS: Very interesting. Before we let you go, any idea what one of those books right now before Friday what it's worth?
FORAN: Sorry?
HARRIS: Any idea what one of these books right now before they're released on Friday what one book might be worth?
FORAN: Oh, I couldn't possibly speculate but I imagine there are some pretty wizard hungry children that would probably pay a lot of money for them.
HARRIS: And some adults as well. I can tell you that from this newsroom. Caroline Foran thank you very much.
FORAN: OK.
HARRIS: We're going to try to stay in touch with you on this case and see how things play out in the days to come, take care and good luck.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
