Two Cardiff men have been sentenced for orchestrating a fraudulent operation that supplied non-halal chicken as halal meat to restaurants and takeaways across south Wales, in what Judge Vanessa Francis described as having “difficult to quantify” societal impact on Muslim communities.
Hamil Miah, 46, of Kilcredaun House, Cardiff, who owned Universal Food Wholesale Limited, was sentenced to four years and eight months in prison after being found guilty following a trial earlier this year. His childhood friend Noaf Rahman, also 46 from Cardiff, received a 24-month suspended sentence after admitting fraudulent trading offences before the trial began.
The pair’s elaborate scheme involved falsely distributing chicken through a web of companies over a five-year period, with prosecutor Alex Greenwood telling Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court that consumers at restaurants and takeaways “were in fact consuming non-halal products as a result of the criminality of these two defendants.
Massive Investigation Uncovers Widespread Deception
The offences came to light following an investigation by Cardiff and the Vale Shared Regulatory Services in January 2019, which resulted in 2,840kg of frozen meat being seized from the defendants’ warehouse on Bessemer Road in Cardiff.
Inspectors found meat that was not properly traceable, with sell-by dates altered and chicken transported in dirty, unrefrigerated vans across south and west Wales. The investigation revealed long periods when the warehouse received no halal meat from wholesalers, yet continued supplying chicken to businesses who believed it was halal.
The court heard that some chicken had been purchased as halal meat, but correct hygiene procedures had not been followed in the warehouse’s “cutting room”. This area was also used to process non-halal meat, meaning cross-contamination rendered none of the chicken accurately describable as halal.
Complex Corporate Structure to Hide Criminal Activity
Judge Francis said the pair had created a “confusing trail” of companies to hide their activities. Mr Greenwood argued that the various companies were “just badges of convenience behind which you hide”, describing how the defendants had deliberately set up multiple entities to obscure accountability.
During the two-week trial, the jury heard Miah created a “smokescreen” of companies whilst actually running the entire operation himself. The businesses affected believed they were dealing with different companies, all under the impression they were purchasing genuinely halal chicken.
Miah attempted to distance himself from the operation during his defence, claiming Universal Food Wholesale Limited only supplied dried foods and soft drinks. He told the court that chicken processing was handled by Universal Poultry Ltd, run by Rahman, and that if workers in the cutting room were “lazy or dishonest”, he could not control their actions.
Religious and Cultural Betrayal
The halal meat fraud represents a profound breach of trust within Muslim communities, where halal certification carries deep religious significance. For meat to be considered halal under Islamic dietary laws, strict requirements must be met throughout the entire process.
According to halal certification requirements, animals must be alive and healthy at the time of slaughter, with the name of Allah invoked during the process. The animal must be slaughtered by a practising Muslim, and all flowing blood must be drained. Cross-contamination with non-halal substances renders meat haram (forbidden), regardless of its original status.
The prosecution said the names of affected businesses would not be read in court due to the “highly sensitive” nature of the offences, acknowledging the potential damage to establishments that had unknowingly served non-halal meat to their Muslim customers.
Years of Warnings Ignored
Evidence presented showed inspectors from Cardiff council and the Food Standards Agency had made multiple visits to the warehouse, suggesting improvements that were apparently ignored. Covert monitoring revealed further violations, including unrefrigerated chicken deliveries to west Wales and a van dumping waste before being reloaded with food without cleaning.
The investigation also uncovered that Miah was trading whilst bankrupt, adding another layer to his criminal activities. The court heard about the defendants’ “cavalier attitude” towards food safety and religious dietary requirements.
Judge Condemns “Extensive Harm”
Sentencing the pair, Judge Francis said the “harm in my view is extensive” with “flagrant breaches over a significant period of time”. She emphasised that “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.”
The judge noted that whilst the defendants were equally culpable, the “societal impact” of their crimes was “difficult to quantify”, acknowledging the breach of trust within Muslim communities who rely on proper halal certification.
Growing Halal Market Targeted
The UK halal food market represents a significant sector, with Muslims spending billions annually on halal products. The halal meat industry is particularly important, with strict certification bodies ensuring compliance with Islamic dietary laws.
Cardiff and the Vale Shared Regulatory Services, which covers Bridgend, Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan serving over 600,000 residents and 10,000 businesses, conducted the investigation as part of their mandate to protect consumer interests and ensure food safety standards.
The case highlights vulnerabilities in the halal supply chain, where consumers must trust that businesses are adhering to religious requirements. Multiple halal certification bodies operate in the UK, including the Halal Food Authority and the Halal Certification Organisation, working to ensure products meet Islamic dietary requirements.
Warning for Future Compliance
The sentences serve as a stark warning to businesses operating in the halal food sector. With the global halal market continuing to expand and Muslim populations growing worldwide, the demand for properly certified halal products has never been higher.
Food safety experts emphasise that halal certification involves not just the method of slaughter but the entire supply chain, from farm to fork. Any contamination or mixing with non-halal products at any stage renders the entire batch non-halal, regardless of original certification.
The case underscores the importance of robust verification systems and the need for businesses to maintain strict separation between halal and non-halal products throughout processing, storage and distribution.
As Muslim communities across south Wales grapple with the revelation that they may have unknowingly consumed non-halal meat for years, the sentences reflect the serious nature of food fraud that targets religious dietary requirements.
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