London man jailed over UK’s largest counterfeit vinyl seizure

Rehan Ahmed, from West London, was found guilty at Inner London Crown Court and sentenced on 18 September following an investigation led by the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at the City of London Police.

The case involved what authorities described as the largest seizure of counterfeit vinyl records in UK history. The operation, which distributed records across the country under the name Phoenix of Vinyl, is suspected to have been running since 2017.

Record labels that examined the seized products confirmed that the titles infringed copyright, with the rights of 108 artists affected.

The investigation began after the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) referred the case to PIPCU. Police subsequently identified what they described as an underground vinyl manufacturing plant operating on an industrial scale.

Warrants executed in February 2024 resulted in the seizure of more than 2,500 vinyl records, alongside equipment and materials used in their production. Police also recovered four vinyl presses, believed to be about 70 years old, approximately 3,000 metal stampers, and thousands of record sleeves and labels.

Detective Constable Daryl Fryatt of PIPCU said Ahmed had exploited the renewed interest in vinyl records.

“Rehan Ahmed exploited artists and the wider music industry, taking advantage of the resurgence in vinyl records for his own gain. We will continue to pursue criminals who target the creative industries and bring them to justice when they do.”

He added: “This case should send a clear message to anyone selling counterfeit vinyl: it is illegal and we will take action.”

Peter Ratcliffe, BPI Director of Content Protection, said the conviction represented a significant development in efforts to tackle counterfeit music products.

“This conviction is hugely significant, and we thank our partners in this investigation, PIPCU and our label members, for their valued efforts over many months to bring about this welcome outcome.”

Ratcliffe said the BPI estimated that tens of millions of pounds had been lost by artists, record labels and music retailers as a result of counterfeiting.

He added that the renewed popularity of physical music formats had also been accompanied by growth in counterfeit records, with criminals seeking to profit from consumer demand.

“With music on physical formats enjoying a resurgence, the market in counterfeit records has unfortunately also been growing as criminals cash in at the expense of creators and fans.”

Ratcliffe said the issue affected not only the legitimate music economy but also consumers and wider efforts to tackle criminal activity.

The case highlights the challenges facing the recorded music industry as vinyl sales continue to form part of the broader resurgence in physical music formats.