Mr Imran, a company director from Maidenhead, was fined £440 and required to pay £1,953.50 prosecution costs plus a £44 victim surcharge.

Mr Imran’s company MNMFM Ltd was the supplier of security to an Oldham supermarket. On 28 August 2021 the store’s retail manager noticed that the usual security operative was replaced by an unidentified man who was unlicensed. The manager notified the SIA who began an investigation.

SIA investigators sent a request for information to Mr Imran last December. He responded but failed to provide the information that had been requested. The SIA sent a further request for information last February which Mr Imran ignored. He also failed to respond to a request to attend an interview under caution, which would have given him the opportunity to respond to the allegations. This left the SIA with no option but to prosecute Mr Imran.

Jenny Hart, one of the SIA’s criminal investigation managers said:

Mr Imran failed to engage with the SIA, whose purpose is to administer the private security licensing regime that protects the public. If there are unlicensed operatives working in supermarkets the public are put at risk. I’d like to thank the Oldham store for their co-operation with this case. As a licence holder Mr Imran was reasonably expected to comply with requests for information from his regulator. He ignored this request and has now ended up with significant costs, no licence, and a criminal record.

Notes to editors:

• By law, security operatives working under contract must hold and display a valid SIA licence
• Read about SIA enforcement and penalties
• The offence relating to the Private Security Industry Act (2001) that is mentioned above is: section 19 – failing to provide information relating to an investigation

Further information:

• The Security Industry Authority is the organisation responsible for regulating the private security industry in the United Kingdom, reporting to the Home Secretary under the terms of the Private Security Industry Act 2001. The SIA’s main duties are the compulsory licensing of individuals undertaking designated activities and managing the voluntary Approved Contractor Scheme.
• For further information about the Security Industry Authority or to sign up for email updates visit: www.gov.uk/sia. The SIA is also on LinkedIn Facebook (Security Industry Authority) and Twitter (@SIAuk).

On Monday 14 November, Ahmed Altorshan was handed a 17 weeks’ jail sentence, suspended for 12 months, by Southend-on-Sea Magistrates’ Court. He was also ordered to do 120 hours unpaid work and pay £500 prosecution costs plus a victim surcharge of £128. The sentence follows his guilty plea to fraud on 30 September 2022.

The SIA brought the prosecution following the road accident when the car that Mr Altorshan was driving hit a tree in Bristol on 29 April 2021. As Mr Altorshan was injured, he was taken to hospital. Police officers investigating the incident recovered multiple identity cards, including a forged SIA door supervisor’s licence, from the car.

The forgery was of a genuine licence held by a legitimate licence holder. Avon and Somerset Police referred the incident to Home Office Immigration, who contacted the SIA.

Essex Police went to Mr Altorshan’s address in Southend-on-Sea to search the property for further evidence. As Mr Altorshan wasn’t at the address, SIA investigators sought an interview under caution with him (with the aid of an interpreter) on 28 February 2022 at a separate address. He admitted to paying for the fraudulent document but claimed that he didn’t use the licence to gain work.

The presiding district Judge said:

You paid for this card to be made as you had been unable to find employment. At the time there was a good reason for that as due to your immigration status you could not legally work in this country… you could have put members of the public at risk as you would be unable to protect them without the proper training or you would have had access to vulnerable individuals without the relevant safeguarding training.

Jenny Hart, one of the SIA’s criminal investigations managers said:

Mr Altorshan’s road accident revealed the possession of a fraudulent SIA licence, which is both illegal and unacceptable. We are grateful to our enforcement partners Avon and Somerset Police, Essex Police, and Home Office Immigration for helping to identify this licensing fraud. The licensing regime is there to protect the public by ensuring that licence holders are fit and proper and suitably trained. Thankfully Mr Altorshan did not use the licence but he broke the law, has been handed a serious sentence and now has a criminal record.

Notes to editors:

Further information:

• The Security Industry Authority is the organisation responsible for regulating the private security industry in the United Kingdom, reporting to the Home Secretary under the terms of the Private Security Industry Act 2001. The SIA’s main duties are the compulsory licensing of individuals undertaking designated activities and managing the voluntary Approved Contractor Scheme.
• For further information about the Security Industry Authority or to sign up for email updates visit: www.gov.uk/sia. The SIA is also on LinkedIn Facebook (Security Industry Authority) and Twitter (@SIAuk).

Under Mr. Asada’s leadership, Marubeni made pioneering investments in the UK. Marubeni invested £370m into Westermost Rough offshore wind farm creating thousands of jobs. This pioneering investment also helped kick-start the UK offshore wind industry, and set the scene for Marubeni’s more recent strategic engagements with the UK on offshore wind in Scotland and Hokkaido.

Mr Asada revitalised the British Market Council (a group of leading Japanese and UK companies focussed on supporting trade relations between Japan and the UK) , as Chairman over six years. He was instrumental in raising awareness in Japan of the UK’s strengths, further improving the partnership between our countries.

The award by the Majesty The Queen of the honorary CBE to Mr Asada was announced on 4 June 2021.

Under Mr. Hayashi’s leadership, Mitsubishi Corporation strengthened its relationship with the UK in strategically important industries, investing in renewable energy, including large offshore wind, helping to establish the UK as a world leader in this field. Separately during his tenure, Mitsubishi Corporation’s patronage of the British Museum’s Japanese Department has given millions of visitors the opportunity to deepen their understanding of Japanese history and culture.

The award by the Majesty The Queen of the Honorary OBE to Mr Hayashi was announced on 12 June 2020.