"This was a disaster waiting to happen"
Helim Miah was jailed for four years and eight months for fraudulently distributing non-Halal chicken as Halal to restaurants and takeaways across South Wales.
The 46-year-old was convicted of fraudulent trading and trading while bankrupt.
Miah owned Universal Food Wholesale Limited and was found guilty following a trial earlier in 2025.
Noaf Rahman admitted his involvement in the fraudulent trading before the trial began. He received a 24-month suspended sentence.
The offences were uncovered in January 2019 during an investigation by Cardiff and the Vale Shared Regulatory Services. A total of 2,840kg of frozen meat was seized from a warehouse operated by the pair in Cardiff.
Prosecutor Alex Greenwood told Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court:
“Over a five-year period, consumers of restaurants and takeaways were in fact consuming non-Halal products as a result of the criminality of these two defendants.”
The investigation found the meat could not be properly traced, expiry dates had been altered, and it was transported in unhygienic conditions in dirty vans across South and West Wales.
The businesses supplied by the pair were misled into believing they were dealing with multiple legitimate suppliers. All believed they were buying certified halal meat.
Although some of the chicken had originally been purchased as Halal, hygiene practices in the warehouse were found to be severely lacking.
The same “cutting room” was used to process both Halal and non-Halal meat, rendering the end product unsuitable to be labelled as Halal.
There were also long stretches when no halal meat was received from wholesalers, yet Miah and Rahman continued distributing meat as Halal to unsuspecting clients.
Due to the sensitive nature of the case, the names of the affected takeaways and restaurants were not disclosed in court.
Mr Greenwood told the court the defendants used a network of businesses to create a false trail:
“The companies set up by the pair enabled them to hide behind a corporate veil which was deliberately created to provide a confusing trail.”
Judge Vanessa Francis said both men had shown a “cavalier attitude” and were equally to blame for the operation. She described the violations as serious and far-reaching.
She said:
“The harm in my view is extensive. There were flagrant breaches over a significant period of time.”
“This was a disaster waiting to happen and it is a matter of relief that it never did with the unsafe meat sent out of your premises.”
On the broader consequences, Judge Francis noted the community impact:
“The societal impact is difficult to quantify.”
The court found the fraudulent business posed a serious risk not only to public health but also to consumer trust within communities where halal certification holds religious and ethical significance.
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