A fake merchandise business owner and his two accomplices have been sent to prison after police seized over £1 million worth of phony fashioner items from the cellar unit of a fast food shop in Manchester.
Officials from a special Police Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police struck the unit in October 2020 and April 2021, and held onto 11,095 of fake goods which, if certifiable, would have been worth an expected £1,045,774.
On February 23, 2023, the men admitted that they had distributed merchandise that violated trademarks. They received the following sentences on June 6, 2023, at Manchester Crown Court:
Fraidon Wadood, 40, of Barrow Hill Road in Greater Manchester, was given a sentence of 200 hours of community service and two years in prison, with an 18-month suspension.
Moshtagh Hashimi, 47, of Sandyhills, Bolton, was given a sentence of 200 hours of community service and 39 weeks in prison with a suspended sentence of 18 months.
Imran Jabarkhail, 21, of Clarendon Street in Greater Manchester, was given a sentence of 50 hours of community service and 30 weeks in prison, with a suspended sentence of 18 months.
An examination by PIPCU uncovered that Wadood had leased the shop unit and had set it up, while Hashimi and Jabarkhail served clients.
City of London Police’s Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) detective Daryl Fryatt stated:
“It is against the law to “Sell fake merchandise. Jabarkhail’s job was to let the others know if police were nearby, as the men tried to hide their illegal business by pretending to be a fast food restaurant.
“Seeing Hashimi back on the shop floor when we went to the shop for the second time was infuriating because Jabarkhail and Hashimi were aware that their actions were against the law. However, Wadood’s plan was foiled after our investigation revealed that he was the ringleader of this operation.
“We trust that this outcome sends areas of strength for a to different lawbreakers engaged with the offer of fake merchandise that this won’t go on without serious consequences.”
On October 21, 2020, officers from PIPCU and representatives from its partner agencies conducted the initial raid at the location on Bury New Road in Manchester. They arrested Jabarkhail and Hashimi and seized 6,652 items of counterfeit perfume, watches, and clothing during the raid.
The men confirmed during their interviews with the police that they were aware that it is against the law to distribute counterfeit goods.
Jabarkhail let officials know that he was utilized by Hashimi as a ‘spotter’ to pay special attention to police and close the shop in the event that they were nearby. Hashimi said that he worked for a man named Pablo, but he didn’t have any more information.
Further investigation revealed that Wadood rented the basement unit from the building’s landlord under the alias Pablo.
On April 16, 2021, PIPCU officers conducted a second raid of the premises, resulting in the seizure of 4,443 counterfeit items. Both Hashimi and Wadood, who were working in the shop at the time, were taken into custody.
Hashimi told the police during his second interview that he worked for Wadood, who stole his alias from Pablo Escobar. Hashimi expressed that his job was to restock the shop and serve clients, and that the typical selling cost of a thing in the shop was around £25.
It is estimated that those in charge of the shop would have made £277,375 if the counterfeit items seized by PIPCU had sold at this price.
Wadood said he worked with Hashimi, but he didn’t know Jabarkhail. Wadood later admitted that he rented the basement unit directly from the building’s landlord, even though he initially told officers that he had sublet the shop to another man.
The basement unit was closed down following the subsequent warrant and officials worked with the proprietor of the structure to guarantee that Wadood’s rent was ended.
Marcus Evans, Delegate Overseer of Insight and Policing the Licensed innovation Office (Initial public offering), said:
“Through the trade in illegal counterfeits, criminals are attempting to exploit consumers and communities for their own financial gain – with absolutely no regard for the quality or safety of the products being sold, which are frequently dangerous and defective.” Such things can truly hurt individuals who purchase and use them, as well as those laborers frequently took advantage of during their creation.
“As well as assisting with supporting criminal ways of life, the offer of fake products has been assessed to add to more than 80,000 employment loses every year in the UK by redirecting assets from genuine brokers and under the control of hoodlums. As we continue to collaborate with partners from industry, government, and law enforcement to help empower consumers and raise awareness of the damage counterfeits cause, we are pleased to support the ongoing effort by our law enforcement colleagues to clamp down on this illegal activity and bring those involved to justice.
The unit’s seized counterfeit goods will now be recycled.
