Londoner sentenced for massive counterfeit vinyl operation

Lehan Ahmed, a 40-year-old resident of Southall, West London, has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison for orchestrating one of the largest counterfeit vinyl operations in British history. Operating under the business names Phoenix of Vinyl and Paragon Music, Ahmed pleaded guilty to copyright infringement and the acquisition and use of criminal property.

During a police raid on his facility in February 2024, authorities seized 15,000 counterfeit records and production equipment valued at approximately £1 million. Unlike many counterfeiters who outsource manufacturing, Ahmed maintained an on-site operation involving three to four employees. The operation produced high-quality duplicates of officially released albums by major artists, including Taylor Swift, Coldplay, and Kendrick Lamar, which were sold through record stores and online platforms such as eBay and Discogs.

The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) highlighted the scale of the issue, noting that in the past two years, 43 searches involving counterfeit vinyl and CDs resulted in the seizure of roughly 600,000 items, with an estimated market value of up to £8 million. Investigations into similar illegal operations remain ongoing.