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Trader sentenced for counterfeit goods

Published: Friday, 7th September 2018

The owner of a Birmingham-based business has been given a suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty to a number of offences relating to the possession of counterfeit and unsafe goods.

Harpreet Singh Chawla, 46, and his company, Sathi (UK) Limited, trading at 54 Great Hampton Street, Birmingham, admitted five offences at Birmingham Crown Court.

The court heard that on 1 November 2012, 100 watch parts branded as Tag Heuer were intercepted at Coventry International Airport addressed to ‘Mr Singh’ at the Great Hampton Street address.

On 22 May 2013, a consignment of 33 watches carrying Gucci branding was intercepted at Heathrow Airport, destined for Sathi (UK) Limited. On 11 July 2013, a container arrived at Southampton port, addressed to the same company and containing various counterfeit items.

These included sunglasses, cigarette lighters, watches and pictures. Representatives from brands such as Oakley, Tag Heuer, Christian Dior, Michael Kors, Chanel and Louis Vuitton confirmed that these items carrying their names were counterfeit.

On 10 March 2015, Birmingham Trading Standards officers visited the premises and seized counterfeit goods, including headphones, alongside a number of unsafe power adaptors.

Chawla, of The Warren, Hounslow, was sentenced to six months’ jail, suspended for a year, and ordered to pay £25,000 under the Proceeds of Crime Act. This must be paid in three months or he faces eight months’ imprisonment. The company was fined £8,000, payable within 12 months.

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