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Date: 22/05/2007
Location: North West of England
Barry Powell and Mark Quincey, who ran a well-organised counterfeiting operation in the North-West of England were imprisoned for 12 and 15 months respectively for their role in a six-month scam that also involved an extensive benefit fraud. His Honour Judge Morrow QC also handed down a 9 month prison sentence to fellow ringleader Sarah Haynes. They operated this illegal business from their homes, supplying local markets and car boot fairs, generating in excess of £40,000 in criminal proceeds during its 6 month operation. The defendants had also claimed a total of £20,000 illegally in state benefits. The convicted may now lose all their assets under the Proceeds of Crime Act. These defendants were arrested along with 21 others as part of a massive police operation involving 135 officers, and coordinated with UK record industry body the BPI , FACT, games industry enforcement body ELSPA and the Department for Work and Pensions.
A multi agency operation on a local market in North Wales resulted in a search warrant being executed on a residential address in Merseyside. Approximately 2000 DVDs and music CDs were seized from the property. Police also found over 30000 counterfeit cigarettes in the property. The defendant is currently under investigation for two counts of benefit fraud as well as for supplying counterfeit goods.
Associated crime types: Counterfeit cigarettes and benefit fraud
An illegal Chinese national was arrested whilst selling counterfeit DVDs and pornography to shoppers on busy high streets in the Oldham area. Upon his arrest it emerged that the male has previously been arrested on four separate occasions across the Greater Manchester area for trade mark offences.
The male was summoned before Oldham Magistrates Court and sentenced to twenty days imprisonment.
Greater Manchester Police recovered a number of counterfeit DVDs, music CDs and game console discs during a house raid. Police had initially entered the property on a drugs search warrant and found small amounts of heroin and cannabis.
The offender received a caution for personal use of the drugs and the counterfeit goods were seized.
A joint investigation by Greater Manchester Police and FACT led to the seizure of over 4000 counterfeit DVDs in April this year. Greater Manchester Police has initially entered the property on a drugs search warrant and discovered the DVDs along with audio CDs and console games discs. The entire product was seized along with 2 computers and a burning tower. The Police further discovered quantities of cocaine and cannabis in the property and three family members were arrested.
On the 5th February 2004 21 Chinese illegal immigrants tragically lost their lives whilst picking cockles in Morecambe Bay near Lancaster. Investigations by Lancashire Constabulary led the Police to addresses in the Merseyside area. Upon searching the homes Police found over 4000 counterfeit DVDs and computers containing counterfeit material. The two men were arrested for the involvement in the death of the Chinese cockle pickers and named as Lin Liang Ren and Lin Mu Yong.
On the 28th March 2006 Lin Liang Ren was charged with 21 counts of manslaughter, perverting the Course of Justice and manufacturing of false work permits. Ren was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment. Due to the severity of Ren’s involvement with the death of cockle pickers the Crown Prosecutor decided that Ren would not be charged with trade mark offences.
Lin Mu Yong was charged with Assisting and Facilitation Illegal immigration and perverting the Course of Justice. Yong was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment. Yong also pleaded guilty to 11 offences under the Trade Marks Act of 1994 and was further sentenced to 9 months imprisonment.
Associated crime types: Manslaughter, immigration crimes, perverting the Course of Justice, manufacturing of false documentation.
In late February 2006 a multi agency operation involving Blackburn with Darwen Trading Standards, FACT and Lancashire Police led to the seizure of a small entrepreneurial burning facility. The raid was a result of an initial complaint from a member of the public who had unknowingly purchased a counterfeit DVD from eBay. The member of public contacted their local Trading Standards in Hertfordshire who traced the sale back to Lancashire. The culprit in Lancashire was already under investigation for similar offences and benefit fraud. A search warrant was executed and 1400 counterfeit DVDs, 250 Audio CDs, 3 computers and a nine tray burning tower were seized.
The link between DVD piracy
and associated crime was highlighted in a raid
carried out by Lancashire Police in the Chorley
area. The raid, which was launched as a result
of a police search warrant for stolen goods and
suspicion of burglary, led to the discovery of
an entrepreneurial DVD burning facility. The two
offenders were found to be in possession of stolen
goods and pornography as well as counterfeit DVDs.
Computers and burners were also seized from the
property. Along with the duplicating machinery
and stolen goods the Police also established that
the two offenders were committing various types
of benefit fraud.
This case demonstrates the
diverse types of wider criminality that are associated
with DVD piracy. Lancashire Police are prosecuting
in this matter.
Associated crime types:
Burglary and theft, handling stolen goods, pornography
and benefit fraud.
