'Hologram Tam' served eight-year company directorship ban

A printer serving a jail sentence for his part in a 1m counterfeiting scam has been banned from being a company director until 2016 by the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR).

Thomas McAnea, who had the nickname 'Hologram Tam', is currently serving a six-year jail sentence for his part in a counterfeiting ring based in Glasgow.

He pleaded guilty to the delivering, selling or disposing of fake notes at Edinburgh High Court on 3 September last year.

McAnea was caught following a raid on his business, Print Link, in which £496,200 of fake Bank of Scotland notes, €406,200 in counterfeit €50 notes, and a further £672,880 in counterfeit Bank of Scotland notes with the same serial number, were recovered by the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA).

Print Link went under in October 2007, owing more than £80,000.

McAnea refused to cooperate with the liquidator, his staff were paid in cash and he failed to make National Insurance and tax payments.