Web Desk: A 40-year-old west London man has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison for producing and selling counterfeit vinyl records featuring music by more than 108 artists, the City of London Police said.
Rehan Ahmed made more than £2.7 million in profit over seven years through the illegal operation, which investigators described as a long-running and highly organised manufacturing business.
According to police, Ahmed produced counterfeit vinyl records bearing the names and music of some of the world’s best-known performers.
The operation involved artists including The Beatles, Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran. Investigators also identified counterfeit records associated with Adele, Ariana Grande, Bad Bunny, Drake, Beyonce and Rihanna.
Rather than focusing on a small number of artists, the operation covered music from more than 108 musicians, authorities said.
Police said Ahmed operated the counterfeit business for seven years, generating more than £2.7 million in profit from the manufacture and sale of the records.
The City of London Police described the business as a “long-running, highly organised” and entirely illegal manufacturing operation.
Investigators uncovered the scale of the operation during their inquiry into the production and distribution of the counterfeit records.
Ahmed was sentenced on Friday at Inner London Crown Court to three and a half years in prison.
The case demonstrates the scale of counterfeit music production, with the operation using the names and music of major international artists to produce unauthorised physical records.
Police said the investigation established that the business had operated on a significant scale, involving a wide range of artists and generating millions of pounds in profits over several years.
Read more: Punjab boards intermediate results announced: check marks online and via SMS
