Jail for two men behind £17m counterfeit goods business based in Brent
Ajit Singh Arura - Credit: Archant
Two men have been jailed following the seizure of £17m worth of counterfeit goods in Alperton - believed to be the largest ever haul of fake items in Britain.
Nirmon Singh Grover - Credit: Archant
Nirmon Grover, 44, from Southall, and Ajit Arura, 36, from Newport, carried out their illegal operation under the guise of Grover International Limited.
When officers from Brent and Harrow Trading Standards Service (BHTSS) raided their unit they uncovered 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.
Andrew Clooney, senior prosecutor at Brent Council, with the haul -thought to be the largest ever by any Trading Standards in Britain. - Credit: Archant
BHTSS said that this is the most sophisticated operation they have ever come across with a global supply link to China and Europe and an investigation lasting five years.
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The company had been previously visited by BHTSS officers following complaints of unsafe and counterfeit products.
Last week at Harrow Crown Court, both men were jailed for three years after pleaded guilty to trafficking illegitimate item
Andrew Clooney, senior prosecutor at Brent Council, with the haul -thought to be the largest ever by any Trading Standards in Britain. - Credit: Archant
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Andrew Clooney, senior prosecutor at Brent Council, said: “The investigation stretched back a number of years as each time we went back to the storage facility, more counterfeit items were seized.
“Our partners at HMRC were then reporting seizures of goods at the docks in Southampton and Tilbury.”
He continued: “We are committed to keeping counterfeit and unsafe goods off the streets and this haul should act as a warning to other rogue businesses that we will leave no stone unturned in investigating and prosecuting people who look to gain from the proceeds of criminal activity.”
