A man has been jailed after being caught with a van full of counterfeit goods headed to a popular market in Warwickshire
Coventry: So, there’s this guy, Mohammed Shafiq, who got himself into a heap of trouble. He was driving a van loaded with fake designer stuff, like clothes and even Beats headphones, all the way to Wellesbourne Market. Not exactly a smart move, right?
Shafiq, who lives in Birmingham, ended up pleading guilty to some serious charges about selling counterfeit goods. The judge wasn’t too pleased and gave him four and a half years in jail. Ouch!
This isn’t his first rodeo either. The judge called him a ‘serial offender’ because he’s been caught before doing the same thing. They found a ton of counterfeit items stashed away in a unit in Digbeth, which is just wild.
He got busted as part of a big investigation by National Trading Standards. They discovered all sorts of fake stuff in a rental unit, including clothes and electrical items. Shafiq even used his passport to rent the place, which is just a bit silly.
When he was caught in December 2020, the police found that his van was using cloned plates. It was packed with the same kind of fake goods they’d found earlier. Talk about bad luck!
Lord Michael Bichard from National Trading Standards said that counterfeit goods can really mislead people and even put them at risk. Fake electrical items can be dangerous, and who knows what’s in those knock-off beauty products?
He urged everyone to keep an eye out for counterfeit sales and report them. It’s a big deal, and they want to crack down on this kind of crime. So, if you see something fishy, don’t hesitate to speak up!
