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South East
Date: 17/10/2008
Location:Islington, London
Islington Police, supported by the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), executed a search warrant at a terraced house on the border of Islington and Haringey. Police found that the first-floor had been converted to display, distribute and sell counterfeit DVD’s. Approximately 50,000 DVD’s, including pornographic titles, were recovered from the house.
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
