Reported by Suprovat Sydney. Two south Asian men have been sentenced for their roles in a fraudulent food supply operation that saw non-halal chicken falsely distributed as halal meat to restaurants and takeaways across South Wales.
Helim Miah, 46, owner of Universal Food Wholesale Limited, was found guilty after a two-week trial at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court and sentenced to four years and eight months in prison for fraudulent trading and breaching bankruptcy laws. His associate, Noaf Rahman, also 46, pleaded guilty before the trial and received a two-year suspended sentence, along with 150 hours of unpaid community work.
The deception was uncovered during a joint investigation by Cardiff and the Vale Shared Regulatory Services, which began in January 2019. Authorities seized 2,840kg of frozen meat from a warehouse in Grangetown, Cardiff. What followed was a disturbing revelation of systematic fraud and serious hygiene violations spanning over five years.
Prosecutor Alex Greenwood told the court that the public had unknowingly consumed non-halal meat due to the “criminality” of the two men. He said consumers were “misled into believing they were eating food prepared in accordance with Islamic law,” when in fact, the products failed to meet halal requirements.
Investigators found that meat supplied by the business was untraceable, expiry dates were altered, and the chicken was transported in filthy, unrefrigerated vans across South and West Wales. Evidence showed that some chicken had been defrosted and refrozen, with some stock over two years out of date. Pest activity, poor hygiene, and a lack of temperature records were also documented.
Although some chicken was initially sourced as halal, the warehouse’s processing area—shared with non-halal products—rendered it non-compliant with halal standards. The companies used by Miah and Rahman created a “confusing corporate veil” to conceal operations, the court heard.
Judge Vanessa Francis described their conduct as having a “cavalier attitude” and said both were equally culpable. “This was a disaster waiting to happen,” she said. “The harm is extensive, and the societal impact is difficult to quantify.”
She noted that customers would have been “horrified” to learn they were consuming meat that was neither halal nor safe, adding: “The meat seized was so unsafe it was converted into pet food.”
Councillor Norma Mackie, cabinet member for Shared Regulatory Services at Cardiff Council, condemned the fraud, saying:
“This case will be deeply troubling for our Muslim community. Eating halal is a religious requirement, and to exploit this trust shows a complete disregard for that belief. The investigation exposed dangerously poor food hygiene that could have caused real harm.”
The names of affected businesses were withheld due to the sensitive nature of the case, but the court emphasized the broader need for rigorous oversight in the halal food supply chain.
This sentencing marks the end of a long-running investigation but highlights ongoing challenges in food authenticity and consumer trust in the halal certification system. If you serve something as halal meat to someone without proper verification or investigation, and it later turns out not to be halal, you will not be free from the responsibility of this negligence. In such a case, you may be held accountable not only under worldly laws but also in the Hereafter.