Counterfeit couple jailed for selling 'designer goods'

A couple have been convicted for selling counterfeit designer goods from a stall in the Portobello Road Market after a surveillance operation by the Council’s Trading Standards.

Mr Bledar Barjrami, 25, and Ms Pranom Kamharn, 40, who live at the same address in Portobello Road, had pleaded guilty to charges under the Trade Marks Act.

The charges stemmed from an operation by Kensington and Chelsea’s Trading Standards and plain clothed police officers on 5 August 2006. 

Officers had identified a stall being run by a man and woman putting a number of counterfeit handbags on display. The stall was being stocked with goods from the back of a Vauxhall Frontera parked around the corner in Talbot Road.

When police and Trading Standards officers moved in they found Mr Barjrami next to the vehicle with its back open. The vehicle contained laundry-style bags full of handbags and wallets - 198 items in all bearing the names Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Christian Dior and Diesel.

At the market stall, where Ms Kamharn was working, the officers found 146 similar items which were also seized.

The pair were charged with offences relating to this operation plus a subsequent test purchase operation, when Ms Karnharn sold a counterfeit Gucci handbag on 21 October 2006.

They were both ordered by Blackfriars Crown Court on Friday 18 May to complete 180 hours community service each and received a nine month jail sentence, suspended for two years.

His Honour Judge Martineau said they escaped being locked up only because of their clean criminal record and because of the current state of prison overcrowding.

Councillor Fiona Buxton, Cabinet Member for Public and Environmental Health, said: “Portobello Road Market is one of the oldest and most popular street markets in London and we want to maintain its well deserved reputation. Criminal activities like this undermine that reputation and the livelihood of honest traders.

“We hope this sentence sends out the strong message that the Council takes a zero tolerance attitude to counterfeiting.

“Let’s not forget that this is not a harmless activity with a willing buyer that only affects the producer of expensive designer goods. 

"There is clear evidence that money generated from the sale of counterfeit goods is used by organised criminal gangs who simply use this as one of their many currencies alongside drugs and weapons to make illicit profits.”

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