Hundreds of fake Chanel and Louis Vuitton handbags were seized in a raid on a north Manchester shop as part of a crackdown on counterfeit crime.
Trading standards officers from Manchester council uncovered the haul at MH Important and Export Ltd months after the company was sent a cease and desist letter from Chanel.
Hakan Yazar, the director of the firm formerly based in Cheetham Hill, pleaded guilty to two breaches of the Trade Marks Act in Manchester Magistrates Court last week.
The 43-year-old, of Shayfield Road, Manchester, said he was responsible for ordering the stock but claimed to have no knowledge of what trademarks were.
He also claimed that he intended to destroy the bags but had trouble in doing so, and that he had no recollection of being advised by Manchester council not to sell counterfeit goods.
MH Import and Export Ltd has since gone into liquidation.
The company had been contacted by the council in November 2017, and in January 2019 it received a warning from Chanel about selling goods bearing its trademark.
On May 8, 2019, trading standards officers visited the company’s premises on Derby Street and found 737 fake bags, many of which were hidden behind other items on the shelves.
A forfeiture order was made for the counterfeit products at the Manchester Magistrates Court hearing on August 27 where Yazar pleaded guilty.
Yazar was sentenced to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work and was fined £500. He was also ordered to pay costs of £1,250 and a victim surcharge of £90.
Councillor Rabnawaz Akbar, executive member for neighbourhoods at Manchester council, said: “Very often in cases where counterfeit goods are being sold there are no excuses for the criminal behaviour taking place, this case was no different.
“Not once but twice Yazar was warned about his activities yet continued to display and sell fake items in his shop.
“The counterfeit goods trade is not a victimless crime. There are strong links behind the practice to organised crime and this is a link we are determined to sever.
“Thanks to the diligent work of our enforcement officers and legal team we have been able to secure this prosecution and I am incredibly grateful for their efforts.”
To get the latest email updates from the Manchester Evening News, click here.
