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Nine arrested after UK Border Agency raids in east London
03 October 2012
Nine people have been arrested for immigration offences following 2 separate raids conducted by us on businesses in Barking and Ilford.
Acting on intelligence, our officers visited Cleaner the Betta Ltd on Ley Street in Ilford at around 13:15 on Wednesday 26 September, where we carried out checks on staff to see if they had the right to work in the UK.
We arrested 3 Pakistani nationals, all males aged 56, 24 and 23. Two were in the country illegally having over-stayed their visas, the other is believed to have entered the UK illegally.
All 3 were detained pending their removal from the UK.
The next day at around 12:00, our officers visited Kamros Cash N Carry on Fir House Creek Road in Barking.
Here, checks revealed that 6 staff members were working illegally. Four Pakistani men aged 23, 28, 30 and 56, 1 Nigerian woman, aged 25, and a 29-year-old Indian man were all found to be in the UK illegally having over-stayed their visas. All 6 were detained and now face removal.
Both businesses could be fined up to £10,000 for each illegal worker unless they can prove to us that the correct right-to-work checks were carried out on their employees.
Steve Fisher, assistant director, UK Border Agency said:
'These operations were extremely successful and I hope action like this sends out the message that we will not tolerate illegal working.
'Employers who take on illegal workers are both fuelling illegal immigration and damaging the majority of legitimate east London businesses who play by the rules.
'This is why we have the power to hit those who break the law with heavy fines and more operations like this are planned.'
Every year, we impose fines on hundreds of companies which fail to carry out proper right-to-work checks on staff.
Employers unsure of the steps they need to take to avoid employing illegal workers can visit the Preventing illegal working section, or they can call the UK Border Agency's Employers Helpline on 0300 123 4699.
Anyone with information about suspected immigration abuse can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 anonymously or complete the Report immigration crime form.