A national food poisoning alert was issued after the arrest of seven men believed to be part of a $4 million fraud ring selling chicken, lamb and seafood that hadn't been refrigerated, The Times of London reported Monday.

The newspaper said an investigation is under way to learn how the gang stole the identity of a legitimate importer and managed to order vast qualities of food and soft drinks from traders in Britain and Europe.

Investigators say that one of the gang's tactics was to contact the drivers of delivery vehicles to arrange pick ups at unusual spots like parking lots.

A number of the checks the gang used to pay for the food were either allegedly stolen or bounced.

Authorities were alerted after the gang used the name of the semi-retired chairman of Tri-Imp Ltd. to order chicken breasts from Spain.