Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit

We’re delighted to share the announcement from the Intellectual Property Office UK and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology confirming their continued funding for PIPCU for the next three years.

DC Jordan Day for PIPCU said: “Counterfeit car parts pose a serious risk to public safety. These parts fail to meet the quality and safety standards required for vehicles to operate safely and put members of the public in harms way." The investigation continues.

The operation followed a referral from Toyota Motor Europe who identified suspicious sale activity. Initial enquiries suggest the counterfeit parts were imported from China and sold in the UK. Police dogs also uncovered £60k hidden in a safe at one of the properties.

Police are warning the public about counterfeit car parts after PIPCU officers seized 260 fake components and £65,000 in cash during raids in Chingford and Walthamstow. Two men in their 20s were arrested and later released under investigation.

An ex-accountant has been sentenced to three years in prison after running an illegal IPTV streaming service. 34-year-old Nishan Silva was jailed following an investigation after Sky referred the case to police. Read more here: bit.ly/3KEGmcQ

Our @ipoenforcement team have launched their latest campaign, highlighting the serious safety risks posed by counterfeit toys. Fake toys have been found to contain toxic paint, sharp edges & unsafe stuffing. Learn more [link]: faketoys.co.uk #FakeToysRealHarms

Leading the fight against counterfeit products🐕‍ Dog owners are being urged to take caution when buying toys, supplements and leads for their dogs, after @CityPolicePIPCU seized over 20,000 counterfeit products. Two men in their 30s were arrested.

A man who made £1 million by running three illegal streaming websites has been sentenced to three years and one month in prison. Stephen Woodward, 36, of Front Street, Thirsk, will now be subject to confiscation proceedings. Read more here: cityoflondon.police.uk/news/city-of-l…

Seven servers, which were used to distribute the infringing content, were seized from the data centre. It is believed that this activity has caused major disruption to a number of pirate services.

Two people have been arrested in connection with an investigation into an illegal streaming service. Detectives executed search warrants at two residential addresses in Oldbury and a data centre in Cheltenham on 3 July. Read more here: cityoflondon.police.uk/news/city-of-l…

A man who pocketed around £300,000 through the sale of an illegal streaming service before he fled the country, has been sentenced to five years in prison. Mark Brockley, 56, was arrested at Barcelona Airport on 20 June. Read more here: cityoflondon.police.uk/news/city-of-l…

A man who is thought to be a key member of an organised criminal group running a counterfeit goods shop on Camden High Street has been arrested. Cash, gold bars and high-value jewellery were seized from the man's address and a bank account containing £40,000 has been frozen.

We're working with @CityPolice's Asset Recovery Team to seize illicit funds. Around £160,000 has been forfeited, after it was seized from a total of five bank accounts linked to an illegal streaming service. The money will now go into the public purse.

Counterfeit cosmetics aren't regulated and can contain toxic ingredients. Check you've got the real deal before purchasing: 1) Vet the seller 2) Be wary of fake online platforms 4) Question a cheap or discounted price 5) Trust your instincts Read more: a-cg.org/consumer-advic…

A 47-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of leaking unreleased Hollywood films online. Officers from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police arrested the man on suspicion of copyright offences. Read more: bit.ly/3H0MCtQ

For #WorldIPDay, we're celebrating musicians' IP protection with recent music enforcement successes: @CityPolicePIPCU seized 18 tonnes of evidence at an illegal vinyl factory @LancashireCC TS shut down a counterfeit poster empire @Dorset_TS shut down a £1 mil fake vinyl operation

Counterfeit phones aren’t subject to the same rigorous tests as genuine products, meaning they aren’t guaranteed to work and pose a safety risk when charging. Find out more about the signs that a product is fake: cityoflondon.police.uk/police-forces/…

A 39-year-old man has been arrested as part of an investigation into the sale of counterfeit mobile phones. Officers searched a business premises and residential address in west London last week and seized 2,500 fake phones. Around £50,000 in cash was also seized.

Two people have been arrested on suspicion of selling an illegal streaming service and money laundering. Officers executed a search warrant in Newcastle and an IPTV panel was shut down. A total of £23,890 worth of assets have since been frozen by our financial investigator.

We participated in Operation Henhouse 4, a nationwide intensification period to tackle fraud. As part of the intensification, our officers: 🚨 Arrested 11 people 🔍 Executed 10 search warrants 💰 Froze £56,500 worth of assets. Find out more: cityoflondon.police.uk/news/city-of-l…