A Southall trader who sold fake face masks and illicit hand sanitiser bottles was prosecuted by Ealing’s trading standards.

Mr Ulgeet Singh, sole director of Yark London Limited based in Southall appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates Court on Wednesday 22 February 2022 charged with 13 offences under the Trade Marks Act 1994 and the Consumer Products Enforcement Regulations 2013.

Ealing Council’s trading standards officers visited the premises of King of Vapes (Yark London Limited) on Grand Union Way, Bridge Road, Southall in August 2020 and discovered a large quantity of suspected designer-branded counterfeit face masks bearing the labels of Adidas, Unilever, Superdry, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Nike, Versace and Burberry.

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A total of 1,458 masks were seized and taken away for further inspection. They failed to meet the Trade Marks Act 1994.

During the visit, officers also found hand sanitiser bottles that did not contain the correct UK import labels and were suspected of breaching the Cosmetic Products Enforcement Regulations 2013.

Officers then discovered a further 10,000 non-branded face masks that did not comply with UK standards. The masks were of poor quality, unsafe and offered little to no protection to consumers. Further examination on the hand sanitisers later confirmed that the products had not been tested according to UK requirements.

In court, Yark London Limited pleaded guilty to all 10 offences under the Trade Marks Act 1994 and three offences under the Cosmetic Products Enforcement Regulations 2013.

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The company was fined £9,900 plus costs of £5,142 and a victim surcharge of £190, bringing the total cost of the fine to £15,232.

Councillor Bassam Mahfouz, cabinet member for decent living incomes said: "This case proves that where there’s money to be made, some unscrupulous traders will stop at nothing and put consumers’ lives at risk by selling products that are counterfeit and of inferior quality."

"We will do all within our means to unmask these reckless, rogue traders who continue to sell counterfeit and illegally imported products."