Two men who were jailed following the seizure in Brent of the largest ever haul of counterfeit goods uncovered in the UK have been ordered to pay back £75,000.
Nirmon Grover, 44, from Southall, and Ajit Arura, 36, from Newport, were behind a sophisticated operation to supple fake goods with a global supply link to China and Europe.
They carried out their illegal operation under the guise of Grover International Limited which was based in Alperton.
This week the pair, who are both serving three years each at Onley prison in Warwickshire after admitting trafficking illegitimate items, were ordered to pay pack the five-figure sum.
Grover was ordered to pay back £63,585.45 within six months or face a further 20 months in prison.
Arura faces a further eight months in jail of he does not pay back £13,233.37 within six months.
When officers from Brent and Harrow Trading Standards Services (BHTSS) raided their storage unit premises they seized imitations of branded items including 34,000 pairs of Nike footwear, Ugg boots, Louis Vuitton bags, Rolex watches, designer fragrances and even headphones.
The street value of the items was estimated at £1,714,000 but if they were genuine they would have been worth £17,620,000.
They were caught following a five-year long investigation by BHTSS.
Cllr George Crane, lead member for environment at Brent Council, said: “These two individuals are currently serving a prison term for selling counterfeit goods, and this order ensures that they will not benefit from money or assets gained through criminality.
“This case has stopped a large operation that undermined legitimate local businesses that we support.”
Related link: Jail for two men behind £17m counterfeit goods business based in Brent
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