East Ham store manager fined after fake lotion discovery

by Luke Jacobs Wednesday, June 27, 2012
4:00 PM

A company director and two firms have been fined after bottles of fake Johnson’s baby lotion was seized from a store in East Ham.

Akhtar Shabarz told a court that he bought the cheap counterfeit goods from somebody who walked into Pound City in Barking Road, but admitted that he did not check to see if they were genuine.

The 39-year-old, Pound City Ltd and Pound City (Grays) Ltd appeared at Basildon Magistrates’ Court on Thursday and each admitted selling, offering or exposing for sale goods which bear a sign identical to a registered trademark without the consent of the proprietor of the trademark.

The companies were further charged with offering or exposing for supply goods prohibited under safety regulations because the product did not display the details of the manufacturer or person responsible for marketing the product.

The court heard that following a complaint Johnson & Johnson contacted Thurrock Council trading standards, who at first seized 59 bottles of counterfeit Johnson’s baby lotion from Pound City, in High Street, Grays, Essex.

On the same day in December 2010, officers from Newham Council’s trading standards team seized nine bottles of counterfeit Johnson’s baby lotion from Pound City in Barking Road, East Ham.

Tests carried out by Johnson & Johnson found the lotion to be counterfeit and containing certain preservatives which the company does not use.

The director and both companies were each fined £1,150 and ordered to pay a £15 victim surcharge.

Shabarz was also ordered to pay £3,585 in costs to Thurrock Council and £750 costs to Newham Council.

Kevin Donovan, from Johnson & Johnson, said: “We are grateful for the diligent efforts of law enforcement and government agencies in supporting the fight against counterfeiting.

“We must do everything we can to ensure the integrity of our global supply chains to protect the consumers and patients who use our products all over the world.”