'Proceeds of Crime' action results in order
Bosses of a Wimbledon-based company have been ordered to pay more than £150,000 after being found guilty of selling counterfeit household goods.
K.A.N.N. Trading Ltd, known as www.tvdeals.tv, was originally found guilty in June 2011 of selling the counterfeit goods, when it was fined £5,000.
Kingston Crown court then heard Merton Trading Standards were alerted after a consumer in Plymouth bought a popular make of paint roller called a 'Paint Runner' from the company's website.
When it arrived the customer found it was very poor quality and complained to the manufacturers who examined the item and found it was a fake. A second test purchase carried out by Trading Standards was also confirmed as counterfeit.
A warrant to inspect K.A.N.N Trading Ltd's storage premises in Wimbledon was executed by Trading Standards and 329 "Paint Runners" were found. The team also seized pedicure sets, razor blades and broom vacuum cleaners that were later confirmed as counterfeit.
Directors Mr Navaid Ahmad, of Raymond Road, Wimbledon, and Mr Atif Mahmood of Alpha Road, Woking, then received a 12-month suspended prison sentence, 240 hours community service and a three-month curfew monitored by electronic tagging. Both men were also disqualified as directors for seven years and the judge ordered the destruction of the counterfeit goods.
Now a 'Proceeds of Crime' action has been taken against the pair to retrieve the money they made from their crimes. At the final hearing on November 21, the judge at Kingston Crown c ordered Ahmad to pay £100,388.06 from his criminal activity within two months and pay £7,500 in costs. Mahmood also had to pay £7,500 costs and was told that he should pay back proceeds of crime amounting to £44,300 within three months. Merton Council will receive £50,000 of the confiscation amount. The judge warned Ahmad and Mahmood that they will be sent to prison for two years and 16 months respectively if they fail to comply with the order.
Merton Council cabinet member for environmental sustainability and regeneration Councillor Andrew Judge said: "This is a just outcome for this wrongdoing to ordinary people. Merton's trading standards team put a great deal of time and effort into this case and are to be congratulated on the result. It sends a clear signal to those who dupe the public by selling counterfeit goods, that we will not tolerate this behaviour. We make sure that carrying out this type of crime in Merton does not pay. We will pursue relentlessly those who rip off the public and flout the law.”
December 3, 2012