eBay fraudster to pay back £40,000 from fake iPhone battery sales

Sanjay Giri, 54, of Clayton Road, was also ordered to pay £10,000 towards Hillingdon Council's court costs following Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) proceedings at Isleworth Crown Court on 3 August this year. Giri had been convicted by a jury at the same court on 3 March and sentenced the following day, for five counts of trademark infringement.

Following an investigation from Hillingdon Council's trading standards team in October 2019, the court had heard how Giri, trading on eBay as Lithium Power Limited, had been selling batteries listed as 'Official 100% Genuine Apple' but were actually counterfeit.

As part of the trading standards team's investigations, it was uncovered that Lithium Power Limited had sold 714 batteries all marked with the Apple Community Trade Mark, priced at £13.99, yielding almost £10,000 in revenue for Giri.

A warrant for Giri's home was executed and a further 676 of the counterfeit batteries were found and seized, along with other electrical goods.

Cllr Eddie Lavery, Hillingdon Council's Cabinet Member for Residents' Services, said: "We're committed to creating safe and strong communities where legitimate businesses can thrive, but criminals are not welcome and will be rooted out.

"I thank the trading standards team whose excellent work here has very much proved that crime doesn't pay, as this resident has found out the hard way and is now facing a payment of £50,000."

At the sentencing hearing last year, Giri was given a community order and all the counterfeit goods were seized. He was also disqualified from acting as a company director for four years.

At this month's POCA hearing, Giri was given three months to pay back the £40,000 he was estimated to have earned from the dishonest sales, or he would face a nine-month default prison sentence.