A MARKET trader who was caught selling counterfeit trainers, shoes and boots at Rye Market has been ordered to pay back £60,000 or face prison time.

Sukhdeav Singh, 58, of City Way in Rochester, Kent pleaded guilty in February 2023 to 13 counts relating to trademark theft for having in his possession for sale counterfeit footwear with a retail value if they were genuine of over £170,000.

Following last year’s successful prosecution, East Sussex Trading Standards initiated proceedings against Singh under the Proceeds of Crime Act to enable it to recover assets and cash obtained through his criminal activities.

At a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing on March 11, 2024 at Lewes Crown Court, Singh was made the subject of a Confiscation Order and ordered to pay a total of £60,000 within three months. Any default of payment could result in up to 6 months’ imprisonment.

When making the order, His Honour Judge Van Der Zwart stated that ‘the particular criminal conduct amounted to £60,000 and the defendant had available assets in this sum’.

Andy Clooney, Trading Standards Team Manager at East Sussex County Council, said “The sale of counterfeit goods harms legitimate sales and damages consumer confidence.

“This individual not only tricked people into paying for inferior goods, his actions also had a detrimental effect on genuine traders and the manufacturers whose products he claimed to be selling.

“This confiscation order should send a clear message that we will do everything in our power to disrupt the sale of illegal goods in our county and take back the profits from these crimes.”

Singh was originally sentenced in March last year to a four-month custodial sentence suspended for one year to run concurrently on each of the 13 counts to which he pleaded guilty and 80 hours of unpaid work. He was also made to pay full prosecution costs of £1,110.

For consumer advice, or to report a concern to Trading Standards, people can contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133, or use their online reporting page which can be found at www.eastsussex.gov.uk/trading-standards/contact.