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Date: 02/05/2008
Location: Ealing, London
A counterfeit DVD street seller was arrested on St. Dunstan’s Avenue in Acton, W3 in possession of one hundred DVDs, 39 of which were pornographic. As a result Mr Yin Fuzhou, 36, of Brent appeared at Isleworth Crown Court on 2nd May 2008 and was charged under Trade Marks Act 1994 and was given 6 months imprisonment. The male in question was an illegal immigrant and consequently the court also recommended him for deportation when the prison sentence is complete.
A DVD street seller was arrested on Cadogan Place in Chelsea, SW1 in possession of over 250 counterfeit DVDs, including pornographic titles and discs containing obscene material. As a result Mr Ming Chang, aged 47, of Harringay appeared at Blackfriars Crown Court on 11th March 2008 and was charged under Trade Marks Act 1994 and the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1998 and was given 8 months imprisonment. The male in question was an illegal immigrant and consequently the court also recommended him for deportation when the prison sentence is complete.
Associated crime types: Counterfeit pornography, Immigration Offences, Obscene Material
Mr Mustafa Sabah, a 23 year old man, who had set up a stall selling counterfeit goods on High Road in Wood Green, Haringey was arrested by Police in possession of 98 counterfeit DVDs and counterfeit cigarettes. It turned out Mr Sabah was in breach of his ASBO by this illegal street selling. As a result he appeared at Blackfrairs Crown Court on 19th December 2007 and was charged under Trade Marks Act 1994 and the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1998 and was given 6 months imprisonment.
A search warrant was executed at a flat in Deptford, London. The warrant had been obtained by the Metropolitan Police, also present were Lewisham Trading Standards, Borders & Immigration Agency, and FACT personnel. The flat contained a DVD factory consisting of multiple DVD burning units, printers, a large quantity of printing ink, 6,600 blank media discs, 7,600 counterfeit DVDs and false identity documents. An illegal unregistered dental practice was also found to be set up by one of the occupants operating from the living room of the premises. From this, drugs including cocaine-derived dental anaesthetic and arsenic tinctures were seized. One man was subsequently arrested and cautioned under the Dentists Act 1984.
A raid was carried out on a flat in Lewisham suspected to be involved in distributing counterfeit DVDs. The raid involved Lewisham Trading Standards, the Metropolitan Police and FACT. Approximately 42,000 DVDs (some of which was pornographic) and 8,000 illegal cigarettes were seized. Also in the flat was a Chinese male, who turned out to be an illegal immigrant. Investigations are currently ongoing.
On 11th August 2007, Police arrested a Chinese man who was selling fake DVDs on Hounslow High Street, TW3. He had 200 counterfeit disc on him, some of which contained obscene material.
Two days later day the street seller in question, Mo Guang Wang, aged 41, of Southwark, London attended Feltham Magistrates’ Court and was sentenced to 9 months imprisonment for breaches of the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1998 and the Obscene Publications Act 1964.
Associated crime types: Counterfeit pornography, Obscene Material
A male street seller was caught with 212 DVDs in an industrial estate in Bedfordshire selling films and pornography, some of which was of an obscene nature. He was arrested and later sentenced to 4 months imprisonment.
A crackdown on illegal DVD sellers in Whitechapel netted 1,218 pirate DVDs including 311 obscene pornographic films. Eight DVD sellers were arrested in the street raids on Thursday 12 July and seven pleaded guilty to breaking the Trade Marks Act 1984 and the Video Recordings Act 1984. Most of those charged appeared before Thames Magistrates on Friday 13 July and have been sentenced to between 3 months and 2 years imprisonment.
Associated crime types: Counterfeit pornography, Obscene Material
Surrey
Police observed a Chinese male acting suspiciously
by a car in Staines train station car park. The
male was questioned and arrested when found to
be in possession of over 3000 DVD's. Upon inspection
it transpired that the discs contained a mixture
of bestiality and obscene pornography.
A
search warrant under section 109 of the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988 was executed in Hackney
by Police, Trading Standards and FACT. Local residents
had informed the Police that they had seen copying
equipment being delivered to the premises. Police
found 132 DVD burners, 19 disc printers, 4 paper
printers, and approximately 35,000 DVDs. At the
rear of the house Police seized over a dozen samurai
swords, knives and machetes. Ten Chinese nationals
were questioned and investigations are currently
ongoing.
Associated
crime types: Offensive weapons and immigration
crimes
Hertfordshire
Police recovered a significant amount of cocaine
during a house search under the Misuse of Drugs
Act. During the raid a female Chinese national
called at the house and was believed to be looking
for the residents. The female was detained and
found to be in the possession of 200 (mainstream)
counterfeit DVDs and a large amount of pornography.
Upon inspection of the pornographic discs it emerged
that some of the discs contained a mixture of
obscene material and bestiality.
The
defendant was remanded in custody and is due to
appear before Watford Magistrates Court.
Associated
crime types: Drugs, Obscene material
and bestiality
The
Metropolitan Police arrested a subject believed
to be riding a stolen motorbike in South East
London. Upon arrest it was confirmed that the
motorbike was stolen and that the defendant was
wanted for questioning. A house search was executed
at the defendant’s property and over 1000
counterfeit DVDs along with an extensive collection
of counterfeit pornography was seized. The Police
also found burning equipment and a sophisticated
printing machine.
A
recidivist Chinese DVD seller was arrested in
the Epsom area for selling counterfeit DVDs. The
male had already been subject to three previous
arrests for identical offences. Upon searching
the male, Police found £200 in cash and
it transpired that some of the £20 notes
were forgeries.
The
use of counterfeit currency causes harm to the
local economy and can lead to people being defrauded.
In
2006 FACT has noted a strong increase in the volume
of additional counterfeit products associated
with counterfeit DVDs.
A male street seller was arrested for trying to sell counterfeit DVDs in a local pub. Local Police were aware of street seller following an earlier complaint from a train guard who had reported the street seller for trying to sell DVDs on the train. The street seller was caught with the DVDs as he tried to sell them to punters sitting at the bar area. Upon inspection of the DVDs, local Police found a number of pornographic discs including bestiality.
The male is due to be charged for the obscene material.
A male was arrested on the Isle of Sheppey for selling counterfeit DVDs on the street. As Police arrested the male, he became aggressive and assaulted one of the Police officers. Upon inspection of his possessions the Police found obscene material along with a series of Hollywood blockbusters. The male was immediately taken to the local Police station where he gave a false name and details before eventually cooperating with the Police.
The defendant is currently being held on remand.
Associated crime types: Obscene material and assaulting a Police officer
A suspicious looking vehicle containing two men was stopped by the Metropolitan Police in the Peckham area of South East London. The driver refused to cooperate with the Police and the vehicle was searched. Inside the vehicle were over 3000 counterfeit DVDs along with a series of pornographic titles. Subsequent Police checks showed that the driver of the vehicle was a disqualified driver who was also wanted in regard to several other vehicle offences. The accomplice of the driver was an illegal immigrant.
Investigations are currently ongoing regarding the vehicle and the registered owner.
Associated crime types: Driving whilst disqualified, immigration crimes and pornography
On Saturday 18th February 2006 the Metropolitan Police, Trading Standards, Home Office Immigration, FACT and Harrow Council CCTV operators worked in partnership to swoop on the numerous street traders that sell counterfeit DVDs in St Anns Road, Harrow.
The operation, named ‘Predator’, was organised in response to complaints received regarding the continual stream of Chinese itinerant traders who persistently target Harrow as an area to sell counterfeit and pornographic DVDs.
In excess of 1,500 counterfeit DVDs, including latest blockbuster hits, were seized which breached registered trade marks of major film companies such as 20th Century Fox, Paramount, New Line Cinema, Warner Bros and Disney.
The Operation resulted in thirteen traders being arrested for offences under the Trade Marks Act 1994. Twelve of them were held in custody while Detectives and Trading Standards Enforcement Officers conducted interviews throughout the night assisted by interpreters.
Twelve traders, nine male and three female, were charged and appeared before Harrow Magistrates Court on Monday 20th February 2006.
All twelve pleaded guilty. Some of the traders had been prosecuted before for similar offences whilst others had had their goods seized by Trading Standards and were subject to ongoing investigations. These traders admitted similar offences in the past which were also taken into consideration by Magistrates when passing their sentences.
The Magistrates stated that these were serious offences and custodial sentences would be appropriate. However, having heard various mitigating circumstances, most of the traders were given 12 – 15 month conditional discharges and ordered to pay between £40 - £70 costs. Two traders who had previous convictions were given 28 day custodial sentences and a third was remanded in custody.
Associated crime types: Pornography and immigration crimes
The often violent, aggressive and territorial nature of DVD pirates was highlighted in a recent case in South East London. In March 2006 two Police officers were conducting a routine police patrol when they witnessed a group of Chinese nationals selling counterfeit DVDs. As the Police walked towards the Chinese nationals, a gang of five Afro-Caribbean males began attacking the Chinese group in an attempt to steal the counterfeit DVDs. The two Police officers intervened and as a result one of the officers received injuries to the ribs and required stitches in the head area. As both groups fled the crime scene, one of the Chinese nationals dropped his wallet. The identification found in the wallet confirmed that the owner was an illegal immigrant who had been refused asylum in the UK. Investigations are currently ongoing.
Associated crime types: Assaulting a Police Officer and Immigration crimes
In February 2006 a combined agency operation involving FACT and Kent Police seized the contents of a duplicating factory based in the Burnt Oak area of North London. The operation began in Kent in September 2005 and led to investigations taking place in the various London areas. Surveillance revealed that Chinese nationals were possibly using an industrial unit for duplicating and distributing counterfeit DVDs. As a result Kent Police and FACT representatives conducted a raid on the industrial unit where two Chinese men were arrested and a substantial amount of burning equipment and DVDs were discovered.
Inside the industrial unit, more than 20,000 discs, 200,000 inlays and 6000 blank DVD-Rs were seized. Significantly, the operation led to the seizure of 24 tower burners and series of specialist disc printers.
The Police further uncovered copious amounts of pornographic material and it later emerged that the one of the men arrested was an illegal immigrant. The two men were named as John Tak Ke Lau and Chee Chong Liew.
On 10th May 2006 Lau was sent to prison for 16 months and Liew was jailed for 21 months. The judge recommended that Liew should be deported at the end of his sentence.
Associated crime types: Pornography and immigration crimes
A routine stop of a male street seller by Trading Standards in South London highlighted the worrying link between DVD piracy and obscene pornography. The street seller was caught with 150 DVDs in his satchel. When prompted for pornographic material, the man revealed 30 pornographic DVDs. During examination, it emerged that some of the pornographic DVDs contained a mixture of heavily pregnant women and young pubescent girls. The paedophilic material contained a mixture of South East Asian girls and Western girls. The matter was immediately furthered to the Metropolitan Police Child Protection Directorate, and the DVDs to the Paedophile Squad Intelligence Unit for further investigation.
FACT and law enforcement partners have witnessed an increase in the amount of pornographic and obscene material available alongside counterfeit Hollywood blockbusters and family favourites.
Associated crime types: Paedophilic material and obscene pornography
