Fake medal factory in a garden shed

[stuka f]

if all ready posted, please remove!

Raid on eBay seller's 'fake medal factory' run from garden shed leaves market reeling | Antiques Trade Gazette

[Watchdog]

Good news indeed to see this indivual taken down.

It is also refreshing to note that Trading Standards seem to have done a good job involving a subject that doesn't usually attract that much enthusiasm when it is much easier to chase so many sellers of fake "Gucci" "Burberry" and football shirts to gullible chavs!

For those who are not familiar with the "Proceeds of Crime action" mentioned in the article this invollves the "Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (prounounced in abbreviation as "Pokka") which is a marvelous piece of legislation (I believe Canadea has a similarly named Act) that allows the investigating authority (not always the Police but Trading Standards as here and also HM Customs and Revenue etc) to seize the material assests of the offender; cars, cash, jewellery, real estate etc (whether involved in the offence concerened or not) of which he is then required to prove that he acquired it by fully legal means. One of the main purposes of the legislation is to counter money laundering. The issue is decided in The Crown Courts and if he cannot prove legitimacy regarding the seized property the Court may order it foreit to the state.

That really stings when the full penalty for the offence in the first instance boils down to a suspended sentence and "Community Service".
When their house, car etc is whisked away it is quite a thing to see these people break down in floods of tears like the big tough "Gangsters" they are not. Brilliant

Regards

Mark
PS It's all a bit like Al Capone getting binned for tax evasion!

PPS Just to be clear, any item such as a car or house may have been bought perfectly legally with cash but then he has to prove a legitimate income source from which he acquired the cash in the first place. Like I said it's beautiful albeit hard work for the investigators.

[Composite]

...taking money from the Poppy guys?!.....that has to be the lowest of the low...defrauding collectors is one thing, but Vets?????

oh, and FOUR YEARS??!!!!

[TabsTabs1964]

Great news.

[thecyclist64]

I thought it was only German/ Third Reich stuff that was so heavily faked.

[Composite]

I shouldn’t worry mate...most members here don’t even know that non-TR Militaria actually exists! :-)

[The Devil's Bank]

About time the authorities caught up with these "low lifes", just feel sorry for the people buying what they believe are "decent" medals.

[Watchdog]

I thought it was only German/ Third Reich stuff that was so heavily faked.

Not at all, it affects most areas and British medals are heavily faked but British and Commonwealth cap badges are in my opinion far more badly affected.

The truth is whether militaria or not if it is in demand some dirtbag will fake it. In recent years there have been examples (yes in UK) of people being poisoned by fake vodka made with Methanol.

If people will do that then faking any kind of collectible seems almost to be expected.

It's difficult to know how to defend oneself beyond being very circumspect!

Regards

Mark

[HARRY THE MOLE]

I shouldn’t worry mate...most members here don’t even know that non-TR Militaria actually exists! :-)

Have you discovered the Bundeswehr & DDR threads yet Ade?

[AZPhil]

I can't open this on my Guberment PC, But
I saw that on a news feed. It great that they nabbed him.
He sure did have all the equipment to stamp out those awards. Busy little bugger wasn't he!

Were these original dies he was using?

Semper Fi
Phil