Counterfeiter, Mark Cody, from Blaenavan Close in St Mellons, pleaded guilty last Friday (February 22^nd) at Cardiff Magistrates' Court to a string of offences relating to his counterfeiting business which he ran from his home.

Cody was given a Community Order for 12 months, requiring him to undertake 240 hours of unpaid work; a Rehabilitation Order of 25 hours; as well as pay costs of £300; with a further victim surcharge of £85.

In February 2018, officers from the Shared Regulatory Service raided Cody's property with a warrant and seized a significant amount of counterfeit clothing, goods, designer label stickers and labels as well as make-up from his home in Cardiff.

Examples of the clothing were sent to brand specialists which confirmed that the merchandise was fake and the make-up was sent for analysis to find out what the products contained.

The make-up, consisting of counterfeit Chanel, Kylie and Mac products contained 35 times the permitted levels of lead and 7 times the permitted level of Chromium. 

Cllr Michael Michael, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Shared Regulatory Service at Cardiff Council said: "Counterfeit goods need to be taken off the streets as these products do not go through the correct safety checks that legitimate products do. They are not safe and the people that buy these products need to know this.

"The levels of lead and chromium in the make-up that was tested should send a clear message to the people that buy these products, to think again, as the levels of Lead and Chromium that were found are a risk to those that are using them.

"Counterfeit clothes and other products are usually very poor quality and don't undergo any safety tests at all. If it sounds to be good to be true, it more than likely is, and we will continue to investigate any intelligence that we are given to take these products off the market."

Cody's guilty pleas related to 16 offences under the Trade Marks Act 1994 and seven offences under the Cosmetic Products Enforcement Regulations 2013. A Forfeiture Order was given by the court and all of the items that were seized will be destroyed.