A Birmingham man has been handed a 27 month custodial sentence at Birmingham Crown Court today after being found guilty of trademark offences.
Saqlain Nawaz (31) of Dovey Road, Birmingham, operated a shop on Stratford Road in Sparkhill from which large quantities of counterfeit designer goods were supplied.
The offences were first discovered in July 2018 following a raid on the shop by the National Trading Standards Regional Investigation Team Central England, Birmingham City Council Trading Standards department, West Midlands Police and the Anti-Counterfeiting Group*.
The shop was supposedly a beauty salon. However, once inside, investigators found and seized a vast range of high-value counterfeit goods including clothing, footwear, electrical items, perfumes and accessories. Brands being copied included Nike, Adidas, Moncler, Stone Island, Louis Vuitton and Hermes.
Promotional flyers advertising the company ‘Designer4Less’, which included a telephone number registered to Mr Nawaz, were found in the shop, linking Mr Nawaz to the offending. Mr Nawaz had also entered into a tenancy agreement for the shop using his own name, despite using a false address.
Mr Nawaz was caught again in December 2019, this time operating from a unit within The Souk Shopping Centre, also on Stratford Road in Sparkhill, where more clothing, footwear and accessories were seized.
Lord Michael Bichard, Chair, National Trading Standards, said:
“As part of Operation Beorma, trading standards officers and partner organisations are successfully tackling the illicit trade in counterfeit goods.
“Counterfeiting is not a victimless crime and I'm delighted this ongoing operation has once again brought to justice a criminal supplying these products and undermining legitimate businesses.
“If you or someone you know has purchased a counterfeit product or suspects someone is selling counterfeits, report it to the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133.”
A Proceeds of Crime application will now follow.
Notes to Editors
For more information, please contact the National Trading Standards press office by emailing press@nationaltradingstandards.co.uk or calling 020 7101 5013
You can find out more about the Anti-Counterfeiting Group and its members here.
About National Trading Standards
National Trading Standards delivers national and regional consumer protection enforcement. Its Board is made up of senior and experienced heads of local government trading standards from around England and Wales with an independent.