Redbridge Council Dismantles £750,000 Counterfeit Electronics Operation

Redbridge Council’s Trading Standards Team, supported by National Trading Standards, has successfully shut down a major counterfeit electronics business involving the sale of dangerous laptop chargers valued at approximately £750,000.

Following a multi-agency investigation, two brothers were identified as key figures in the operation. One of them, Mohammed Rafi Khan, was sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court after being found guilty of two counts of fraud and offences under the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016. His trial took place between Monday 30 June and Friday 4 July.

Khan received a two-year suspended prison sentence, 100 hours of unpaid community service, and was ordered to pay £2,450 in costs. A Deprivation Order was also issued for the seized goods.

The investigation was triggered by a complaint from a Brent resident with electrical safety expertise, who purchased a replacement laptop charger via eBay. Upon inspection, he identified serious safety concerns and reported the seller — Ascot Direct Ltd, registered in Ilford.

Ascot Direct Ltd’s sole director, Liaqat Khan (28), resided on Belmont Road, Ilford. Investigators uncovered hundreds of eBay listings for laptop chargers and power supplies falsely branded as Dell, Hewlett Packard, Samsung, and Toshiba. Brand protection representatives confirmed the items were counterfeit, and test purchases validated the findings.

Further inquiries revealed the use of a storage unit on Reef Street, Dagenham, where officers discovered two shipping containers filled with 30,000 unbranded laptop chargers and thousands of counterfeit brand labels. Financial records traced nearly £110,000 in payments to Chinese suppliers, referencing chargers and plugs, linked to a bank account held by Mohammed Rafi Khan (36), of Parkside Avenue, Romford.

Search warrants were executed on 25 May 2021 at both addresses, with support from the National Trading Standards Tri-Region Investigation Team. Additional documentation, including bank statements and mail sacks of returned goods, was seized from the Belmont Road property.

Safety testing funded by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) revealed that 48 out of 50 samples posed serious risks, including electric shock and fire hazards.

Liaqat Khan was arrested at the scene but declined to comment during questioning. He later failed to respond to a court summons, and Border Force confirmed he had left the country. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.

Both brothers and Ascot Direct Ltd were charged under the Trade Marks Act 1994, the Fraud Act 2006, and the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016.

Cllr Kam Rai, Leader of Redbridge Council, said:

“This case highlights the serious risks posed by counterfeit electrical goods and the importance of robust enforcement. These products weren’t just fake — they were dangerous, with the potential to cause electric shocks, fires, and serious harm to unsuspecting consumers.

“I want to commend our Trading Standards team for their tireless work and collaboration with national partners to bring this operation to justice. Their efforts have helped protect residents not just in Redbridge, but across the country. We remain committed to cracking down on illegal trading practices and ensuring that consumer safety is never compromised. Let this serve as a clear warning: if you put lives at risk for profit, we will find you, and we will hold you accountable.”

Trish Burls, Chair of the NTS Tri-Regional Investigation Team, added:

“Since June 2021, our investigators have supported the London Borough of Redbridge in a significant investigation into the large-scale supply and sale of counterfeit electrical items, such as laptop chargers, which failed to comply with safety regulations. These items were predominantly sold via eBay to unsuspecting members of the public. We hope today’s sentencing sends a clear message that such behaviour will not be tolerated.”