Fake vinyl producer Rehan Ahmed jailed for three and a half years

Rehan Ahmed, who operated a large-scale counterfeit vinyl production business under the names Phoenix of Vinyl and Paragon Music, has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison. Ahmed, 40, from Southall in west London, pleaded guilty to two charges: breach of artists’ copyright and acquiring/using criminal property. The sentences for these charges will be served concurrently.

The sentencing took place at Inner London crown court on Friday. Judge Darren Reed described the operation as having a “sophisticated and planned nature” and noted the “wider harm to the music industry” caused by Ahmed’s activities. He supplied counterfeit albums to record shops and sold them directly to consumers via online marketplaces such as Discogs and eBay.

Factory Raid Uncovers Scale of Fraud

The scale of Ahmed’s operation became clear when police raided his factory. Officers found approximately 15,000 counterfeit records. The factory, which operated at night, was described as a “squalid mess” with chemicals stored near lager cans. Production machinery, some estimated to be 70 years old, was found alongside stock. Receipts and order documents were scattered throughout the premises.

The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) has been involved in 43 search warrants targeting illegal counterfeit vinyl and CDs over the past two years, resulting in the seizure of around 600,000 items. These items are estimated to have a street value of up to £8 million. The BPI assisted police during the raid on Ahmed's premises.

Investigation and Previous Warnings

Detective Constable Daryl Fryatt, who led the police investigation, stated that Phoenix of Vinyl had received a legal cease and desist order in 2017 but continued its activities for another seven years. DC Fryatt suggested that new systems for detecting counterfeits allowed Ahmed’s records to evade detection for a significant period. Police executed raids on Ahmed’s business and his home on 20 February 2024.

During the investigation, police and BPI experts had to contact 108 record labels or their legal representatives to formally confirm copyright infringement. The counterfeit records found included copies of albums by major artists such as Taylor Swift, Coldplay, and Kendrick Lamar. Frank Ocean’s work, which had a significant gap between digital and vinyl releases, was also prevalent among the seized items.

The investigation into Ahmed’s operation was part of a wider inquiry into counterfeit vinyl trading across the UK. This followed reporting on cases such as Richard Hutter, who made an estimated £1.2 million from selling illicit records, and Operation Typhoon, which began with the seizure of 529 counterfeit records in Stoke-on-Trent.