A Devizes meat trader who was jailed for running his operation out of his filthy car washes has been ordered to pay back £150k.

Gent Jakupi, a former army reservist, formerly of New Park St, Devizes, was ordered to pay back over £150K by Swindon Crown Court on December 5.

In December last year, Jakupi was given a six month prison sentence after pleading guilty to 39 food hygiene offences, for placing unfit meat on the market and other hygiene offences.

The initial prosecution followed raids by Wiltshire Council’s food and safety team on his illicit meat butchery and delivery business operating from hand car wash premises in October and November 2020.

Working with the Food Standards Agency, a national food alert was issued warning that meat that had already been supplied was unfit for consumption.

A total of 5.1 tonnes of meat was seized from his premises and condemned for destruction.

Jakupi turned up to court last year dressed in his Rifles regiment uniform.

Following his conviction a Proceeds of Crime investigation was conducted by the Food Standards Agency’s National Food Crime Unit on behalf of Wiltshire Council.

It concluded he had made £154,342.62 from his criminal conduct, although only £3,500 was currently available for confiscation.

He has been ordered to pay within three months or face a default prison term of three months in addition to his original sentence.

Senior financial investigator, Yvonne Barwani, of the National Food Crime unit said “This is a satisfying result and shows that food crime does not pay.

“This investigation and subsequent prosecution also provide a good example of organisations working closely together to ensure that consumers are protected from illegal activity”

Wiltshire Council's cabinet member for public protection Ian Blair Pilling added: “I am pleased that in addition to the original conviction and custodial sentence, Mr Jakupi has been ordered to pay back his ill-gotten gains.

“This was one of the worst cases that our food and safety team have dealt with and the defendant put consumers and their families at serious risk. I hope that this will act as a warning to others that this dangerous behaviour will not be tolerated in Wiltshire and that they will not prosper from it.

“I would also like to thank our food and safety team and the National Food Crime Unit of the Food Standards Agency for their hard work.”