A Southall business owner who sold fake parts for Apple mobile phones, fake iPad mini cases and 145 unsafe laptop chargers has been ordered to pay a total of £12,500 by Isleworth Crown Court.

Mr Tirlochan Sachdeva, owner of the wholesaler Myfone Accessories Ltd at Southall Enterprise Centre, Southall and the company were handed the punishment — which included £3,500 legal costs — at a hearing at Isleworth Crown Court on 22 October 2014.

The business was found guilty of 15 offences of selling unsafe electrical items and three indictments for breaching trade mark laws.

Ealing Council was able to apply for funding from the National Trading Standards Board (NTSB) which enabled them to instruct Kensington and Chelsea’s trading standards officers to investigate and prosecute the case on its behalf.

When Myfone Accessories Ltd was investigated on 12 February 2012, trading standards officers found 16 counterfeit mobile phone face plates; 89 iPad mini cases and 145 unsafe laptop adaptors which could have overheated and caused household fires.

The items were being sold to retailers in and around Kensington and Chelsea, as well as in other parts of west London. All were completely untested, non-compliant with EU electrical safety standards and posed a real risk to consumers of causing fires; serious injury or even death.

It is not first time that unsafe, non-compliant electrical goods have been seized in a joint operation involving other local authorities.

In December 2013, Ealing trading standards officers impounded hundreds of bags of potentially dangerous, counterfeit phones, USB devices and accessories; with support from Brent and Harrow, Enfield, Royal Borough of Greenwich, Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea, Merton, Richmond and Southwark Councils.

Ealing’s deputy leader and cabinet member for community services and safety, Councillor Ranjit Dheer said:

"This is a good result for Ealing and Kensington and Chelsea’s trading standards teams who have worked together to deter unscrupulous businesses from peddling potentially lethal counterfeit products to unsuspecting customers throughout Ealing, Kensington and other parts of west London."

"Cases like this show how councils are teaming up to crack down on the illegal trade in dangerous and fake goods; backed by the national body. The net is really closing in on criminals who try to dupe consumers and put them in danger just so they can turn a cheap profit."