Hundreds of fake Chanel and Louis Vuitton handbags were seized in Cheetham Hill as part of efforts to stamp out counterfeit crime.
Manchester City Council has told of how 737 fake bags were identified and removed by Trading Standards officers from the premises of MH Import & Export Ltd on Derby Street on 8 May 2019.
Many of the bags were concealed behind other items on the shelves.
This was the most recent of several interventions between the company, the Council and brand representatives, as in November 2017, the council advised the company about its responsibilities not to sell counterfeit goods, and in January 2019, it was contacted by Chanel about selling goods which may bear their trademark.
These warnings were not heeded, however, and as a result, the company’s director Hakan Yazar, 43, was interviewed by council officers in December 2019.
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Yazar admitted that he was responsible for the ordering of stock, but claimed that he did not know anything about trade marks, that he did not remember receiving a letter from the Manchester City Council, and that, following a cease and desist letter from Chanel, took counterfeit products off the shelves.
He also claimed that he intended to destroy the bags – but had trouble in doing so.
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737 fake bags were identified and removed by Trading Standards officers / Credit: Manchester City Council
At a hearing at Manchester Magistrates Court on Friday 27 August, Yazar pleaded guilty to two breaches of the Trade Mark Act, 1994, and was subsequently sentenced to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work.
He was also fined £500, was ordered to pay costs of £1,250 and a victim surcharge of £90, and a forfeiture order was made for the counterfeit products.
“Very often in cases where counterfeit goods are being sold there are no excuses for the criminal behaviour taking place, this case was no different,” explained Councillor Rabnawaz Akbar – Executive Member for Neighbourhoods at Manchester City Council.
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“Not once but twice Yazar was warned about his activities yet continued to display and sell fake items in his shop.
“The counterfeit goods trade is not a victimless crime. There are strong links behind the practice to organised crime and this is a link we are determined to sever [but] thanks to the diligent work of our enforcement officers and legal team, we have been able to secure this prosecution and I am incredibly grateful for their efforts.”
MH Import & Export Ltd has since gone into liquidation.
Featured Image – Manchester City Council
News
Family of murdered Salah Adam Eldin, 21, pay tribute to ‘beautiful son and true hero’
Daisy Jackson
The family of Salah Adam Eldin, a 21-year-old stabbed to death in Old Trafford last week, have paid a heartbreaking tribute to a ‘genuine and loving soul’.
Salah sadly died on Wednesday 31 May after he was found with serious injuries on Kings Road.
A murder investigation has been launched, and 19-year-old Demari Adrian Raymond Rose has been charged with murder and possession of a bladed article.
Salah’s family have described him as ‘the backbone of the family’ and described his respectful, kind and caring nature.
They wrote that support has poured in from across the globe, saying that ‘he was so much to so many people’.
In a tribute issued through GMP, his family said: “Salah was the backbone of the family and carried the family through anything and everything. He was our precious, beautiful son and a true hero.
“He was a supportive brother and precious son, a most genuine and loving soul with a big heart. He always found space in his heart to forgive all.
“He was always respectful and had kind words to say for all, everyone who met him wanted to be friends with him and was respected by all people of all ages.
“We are immensely proud of him. The continuous tributes from his friends, as far and wide as Africa, North America, The Middle East, Europe and from every corner of the world as well as here at home in England, his friends coming with heavy hearts and tears of deep sadness.
“Yes, our heart is filled with grief and pain, the reality that we will no longer hear his voice on the end of the phone. We grieve and wait for the day that we will one day all be reunited as a family together again and it will be forever.
“As a family we are able to support one another with the help of the wonderful friends and family that we have in the community and beyond. The support has been immeasurable, with everyone suffering the same pain and loss of Salah. He was so much to so many people. His short time in this world, he has his legacy of being a kind and caring young man and so loved. The amount of people who have reached out to support us, it is overwhelming and yet wonderful at the same time.
“As a mother, I have no words to describe the depth of my pain, grief and sorrow that I am going through, and I wish no mother must experience the layers of sadness and grief that I and Salah’s siblings and family are going through.
“Our lives have changed forever and we thank Greater Manchester Police for doing all they can to get justice and who have been very supportive, and we thank endless stream of friends and the community from the bottom of our hearts for their continuous love and support that they give us.”
Salah’s family have asked for continued privacy while they grieve for their loss.
Featured image: GMP
News
Coronation Street legend Julie Goodyear diagnosed with dementia
Danny Jones
Coronation Street legend Julie Goodyear, who famously played the iconic character Bet Lynch for over 25 years, has sadly been diagnosed with dementia.
Issuing a statement via ITV, her husband Scott Brand confirmed that they had been given the “heartbreaking diagnosis” this week.
Goodyear, 81, played the legendary Rovers Return pub landlord for over two decades across two different spells on the show, starting in 1966 before leaving the show for good in 1995.
Brand told the outlet on Wednesday: “Unfortunately, Julie has been suffering forgetfulness for some time and we have been seeking medical advice and assistance, but we now know that there is no hope of a reversal in the situation – and that her condition will get progressively, and perhaps speedily, worse.”
Coronation Street's Julie Goodyear is suffering with dementia, her husband has revealed.https://t.co/4CZwt5KbGJ
— ITV Granada Reports (@GranadaReports) June 7, 2023
Julie Goodyear has been diagnosed with dementia at the age of 81.
He went on to say that he and Goodyear “have taken the decision to publicly announce the diagnosis as Julie still loves visiting friends and eating out”, noting that she inevitably gets recognised “and fans love to meet her – and she them – but she can get confused particularly if she is tired” and adding they “hope people will understand.”
The Manc soap star and household name is from Heywood in Rochdale and retired from acting in 2003 after making her final special appearance on the Coronation Street spin-off, After Hours.
The Manc -
1st September 2021 
