Men arrested by immigration police

4:02pm Friday 16th May 2008

TWO men have been arrested in raids by immigration police in Bolton.

The men were arrested on Thursday afternoon during an operation led by the UK Border Agency.

Officers targeted the Food and Tipple store in Tong Road, Little Lever, at around 3.40pm after intelligence was gathered by the agency's Salford enforcement team.

Officers checked identity documents of workers to establish whether employees had the right to work and a 25-year-old Indian man was found to be working illegally.

The man was arrested and taken to a police station where he was questioned. Steps are now being taken to remove him from the country.

Immigration officer Phil Ratcliffe, who led the raid, said: "The operation was successful as we arrested our target, who was an illegal worker.

"Although the owner of the shop was fully co-operative and helped with our inquiries, he could still potentially face a fine of up to £10,000 for employing an illegal worker."

Officers then moved on to a residential address in Rishton Lane, Great Lever, at around 5.20pm.

There they arrested a 44-year-old Indian man on suspicion of being in the country illegally.

He was taken to a police station where he was being questioned.

A spokesman for the Food and Tipple store said: "We took all the necessary steps before we employed this man, who was only working for us for a few weeks."

The Agency's Civil Penalties unit are now dealing with the case.

Thursdays raids followed an arrest made at the Spice and Rice Cafe in Great Moor Street, Bolton, on Wednesday where a South African man was found to be working illegally.

If employers are found to be in breach of their obligations as sponsors they can be stripped of their licence to recruit from outside the European Union.

A tough, Australian-style points based system for managing immigration is being rolled out this year.

Employers can visit www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/employers or call the UK Border Agency Employers Helpline on 0845 010 6677 for more information.

Anyone who suspects that illegal workers are being employed at a business in Bolton can call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

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