Hong Kong Customs officers have arrested two men on copyright-violation charges after they allegedly posted pre-release tracks by local male vocalist Eason Chan to “cyberlocker” websites in the U.S. and Europe.

The first operation led to the arrest of one man suspected of uploading two pre-release tracks from Chan’s latest album, Time Flies (released March 15 by Cinepoly/Universal), to a U.S.-based cyberlocker site. The man also allegedly posted links to the files containing the tracks on popular Hong Kong-based forum Discuss.com.hk. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), Customs officers have released the man on bail pending further investigations.

A second operation led to the arrest of another man accused of uploading the entire album to four cyberlocker sites in the Netherlands and the U.S.  He also allegedly posted links to the files containing the tracks on Uwants.com, and has been charged by Hong Kong Customs.

Cyberlockers are online hosting services designed to store and distribute large files. When uploaded, files can then be accessed by users through links posted elsewhere, such as in forums or blogs.

“Many people think they can post infringing music to cyberlockers internationally without fear of any consequences,” said IFPI anti-piracy director Jeremy Banks in a statement. “This admirably swift action by Hong Kong Customs shows how wrong they can be.

“While the international spotlight has largely fallen on illegal peer to peer file-sharing over the last few years, the industry is working closely with law enforcement to take proactive steps to combat copyright infringement through non peer to peer channel such as cyberlockers, blogs and forums as well,” Banks added.

Added IFPI Asia regional director Mayseey Leong: “Cyberlockers, blogs and forums are used as major engines of copyright infringement in Hong Kong. We are delighted that the authorities recognize the scale of the problem and the damage it causes to our members and have taken prompt action in this case.”

Noted Universal Music Hong Kong senior VP Duncan Wong: “Record companies invest heavily in recording, marketing and promoting great music.  We need to be able to recoup that investment to discover and nurture the next generation of talent. If our ability to do this is undermined because people access our music illegally, then there will be less money to invest in the future. We would like to thank Hong Kong Customs for their support of the Hong Kong music industry.”