R’Ellite Raiments Ltd and company director, Mr Rajkumar Karuppiah Rajan, received confiscation orders totalling £267,544.85 at a Crown Court hearing in Reading on 2nd October 2024. The orders were made under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. R’Ellite Raiments Ltd was fined £28,000 separately and the two defendants were also ordered to pay £28,000 towards prosecution costs.
At an earlier hearing on 4th October 2023, R’Ellite Raiments Ltd and Mr Rajkumar Rajan entered guilty pleas to seven offences under the Trade Marks Act 1994. Mr Rajan (41), from Church Gate, Thatcham, was sentenced at that earlier hearing to 14 months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, with 150 hours of unpaid work requirement, and 40 days of Rehabilitation Activity Requirement.
Mr Rajan and his company were prosecuted following an investigation by officers from the Public Protection Partnership supported by West Berkshire Council’s Legal Services and the Joint Case Management Unit.
On 11th February 2021, the Public Protection Partnership was informed that multiple pallet loads of potentially counterfeit clothing were at a storage facility in Hampshire and that the owner of the goods was R’Ellite Raiments Ltd. The items were branded with trademarks such as Tommy Hilfiger, G-Star, Ralph Lauren, Diesel and Levi and included T shirts, polo shirts, jeans, trousers, and dresses.
Officers attended the storage facility and seized 10 pallets full of clothing and then liaised with the relevant trademark holders who confirmed the items were counterfeit.
Councillor Justin Pemberton, West Berkshire Council’s Executive Member for Public Protection said, “Dealing in counterfeit goods creates an unfair trading environment for our many law-abiding businesses. “
“Our officers work hard to protect legitimate businesses as well as consumers from the sale of fraudulent goods which are cheaper and of an inferior quality and may not adhere to relevant safety standards. We will continue to take action against traders who sell counterfeit goods be it on the high street or on the internet.”
If you know of anyone that is selling counterfeit goods or have purchased goods that you believe may be counterfeit, please contact tsadvice@westberks.gov.uk tel 01635 519930.
