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FSA welcomes custodial sentence in food crime case
Three men have been sentenced after successful prosecutions by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) following a North Wales Police investigation into £300,000 chicken theft and fraud in North Wales.
Rana Dhaia from Wolverhampton was found guilty. Darren Williams and Elliott Smith, both from Anglesey pleaded guilty to theft. As a result, the three men received sentences on Friday 2 February at Caernarfon Crown Court:
- Rana Dhaia has been sentenced to serve a term of imprisonment of 4 years and 3 months.
- Darren Williams has been sentenced to 2 years imprisonment suspended for 2 years with a requirement to undertake 300 hours unpaid work.
- Elliot Smith has been sentenced to 2 years imprisonment suspended for 2 years with a requirement to undertake 250 hours of unpaid work.
The FSA’s National Food Crime Unit (NFCU), working with partners carried out an unannounced visit and secured evidence which assisted the police.
Forged handwritten dispatch notes were found which indicated that £300,000 worth of chicken had been stolen leading to potential traceability issues. It’s very important that poultry can be traced through the food system to help ensure that food is safe to eat.
The three men were arrested following the execution of the search warrant. The North Wales business, 2Sisters Food Group fully co-operated with the investigation and gave evidence for the prosecution.
Andrew Quinn, Head of the Food Standards Agency’s National Food Crime Unit, said:
"We welcome these sentences, as this sends a strong deterrent message to those considering committing food crimes. I want to thank the CPS and North Wales police for their excellent partnership work in securing these convictions. Together, we are stronger in the fight against food fraud and we continue to work with partners to help ensure that consumers are protected.”
Emmalyne Downing, Crown Advocate said:
“The three defendants took advantage of their position within the companies to defraud 2 Sisters Food Group. Fraud cases can be complex, the Crown Prosecution Service worked closely with the Economic Crime Unit at North Wales Police and the Food Standards Agency in Wales to build a strong case against the defendants. The evidence presented resulted in all three being convicted”.
Detective Constable David Hall of the North Wales Police Economic Crime Unit said:
“We welcome the outcome which has seen the conviction of Williams, Smith and Dhaia following work with partners from the Food Standard Agency.
“The offences that took place not only cost the 2 Sisters Food group thousands of pounds, but also could have had far-reaching implications due to traceability issues if they had not been caught.
“I’d like to thank the CPS for their involvement in this investigation which has led to today’s result.”
Anyone with suspicions of food crime can report it safely and confidentially to the NFCU. You can report a food crime online or by freephone on 0800 028 1180. For non-UK mobiles or calls from overseas please use 0207 276 8787.