The illegal operation saw fake Apple, Samsung and Sky products, counterfeit Nike and Converse items and fake CND cosmetics offered for sale online.
Majid Iqbal, Muhammad Iqbal, Hina Naz and Fatima Aamir, all of Akron Drive, in Oxley, had been found guilty of a variety of conspiracy charges following a trial in December last year.
Brothers Majid and Muhammad Iqbal led the substantial counterfeiting operation. The council’s Trading Standards team valued loss to the industry at an estimated £2million.
At Wolverhampton Crown Court on Friday (15 March), Majid and Muhammad Iqbal were both sentenced to 31 months in prison.
Hina Naz, wife of Majid Iqbal, was sentenced to 13 months in prison suspended for 2 years and must attend 10 rehabilitation activity days.
Fatima Aamir, wife of Muhammad Iqbal, was sentenced to 48 weeks in prison suspended for 2 years and must attend 20 rehabilitation activity days. Both must also carry out 40 hours of unpaid work.
The 4 were investigated by officers from the council’s Trading Standards team for operating online businesses which marketed and sold more than 30,000 counterfeit goods.
The operation first came to light when around 1,400 suspected counterfeit Sky remote controls addressed to Muhammad Iqbal were seized at a DHL depot in Telford in December 2017.
Over the next 2 years, further test purchases were made from the 4, who operated under 6 different limited companies and 11 eBay user accounts. Each test purchase resulted in the sale of counterfeit goods from eBay shops that were operated and controlled by the defendants.
In addition, searches of the defendants’ homes and business premises in both Wolverhampton and London resulted in the seizure of more than 4,300 items of counterfeit and copyright infringing goods.
Officers did not find any documents to suggest that goods were purchased from genuine suppliers. Invoices and other documentation seized showed purchases from Chinese counterfeiters.
In October 2019, while Trading Standards officers were carrying out a search at the home of Fatima Aamir and Muhammad Iqbal, two parcels from Hong Kong were delivered addressed to Aamir.
One of the boxes contained 100 pairs of copyright-infringing Apple products and the other contained bottles of counterfeit CND nail varnish and flat-packed plastic and cardboard packaging for the counterfeit nail varnish.
Following further detailed investigations, Trading Standards brought the case to court.
Councillor Craig Collingswood, City of Wolverhampton Council’s cabinet member for environment and climate change, said: “This was a very complicated case involving many thousands of counterfeit items.
“The 4 defendants were intending to defraud innocent consumers by selling a range of fake goods, which varied from electrical products to clothing and cosmetics.
“Fortunately, our Trading Standards team were able to step in and carry out a thorough investigation and I am delighted to see those involved brought to justice by the courts.”
A proceeds of crime hearing will be held for the case at a later date.
Anyone concerned about items they have bought or that are on sale can email trading.standards@wolverhampton.gov.uk
