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Falkirk Trading Standards officers played a major role in bringing down the wheeler dealer known as the ‘King of Fakes’

Bonnybridge man Conroy Lindsay (37) was sentenced to 15 months in prison at Falkirk Sheriff Court last month after being convicted of supplying fake goods, including watches, fragrances, clothing and handbags, between 2017 and 2019.

Lindsay was caught after Falkirk Council’s Trading Standards team investigated a Gumtree account advertising watches. A test purchase revealed the operation, and Lindsay’s home was raided.

He’d bought the fake items from Chinese-based companies offering counterfeit goods, paying £7,430 for items that, had they been real, would have been worth £650,145.

Lindsay was selling fake versions of well known brands like Rolex

The so-called ‘King of Fakes’, as he was known locally appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court earlier in the year and it was stated, between August 2017 and June 2019,

Lindsay was selling – and trying to sell – counterfeit goods on platforms such as Instagram and Gumtree.

His knock-off items were almost identical, or likely to be mistaken for, high-end brands like Rolex, Ray Ban, Christian Louboutin, Hublot, Omega, Givenchy, Fendi, Louis Vuitton and Tag Heuer.

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The Trading Standards team were quick off the mark to identify and report the counterfeit case, which concluded following a guilty plea by Lindsay.

He was identified following a Scotland-wide project to identify consumer protection and intellectual property crimes on social media platforms and marketplaces.

The Bonnybridge offender was informed he faced a jail sentence and potential fine after he pleaded guilty to contravening the 1994 Trade Marks Act.

Kirstie Crosson, Falkirk Council Trading Standards co-ordinator, said: “This conviction is another warning to those involved in the sale of illicit goods. We’re committed to finding and prosecuting those who persist in this illegal activity.

“Counterfeit goods are unsafe, unreliable and harm legitimate businesses. We take the supply of such goods seriously and we’ll do everything in our power to tackle the supply to protect our residents.”

She added that members of the public are encouraged to play their part in helping Forth Valley/Falkirk Trading Standards in their ongoing battle to keep counterfeit products off the streets by reporting anything suspicious

Falkirk Trading Standards: How we snared 'King of Fakes'