Three to be deported after sting

THREE men, suspected of working illegally at restaurants in the Honiton area were arrested during raids by the UK Border Agency last week

The men, all believed to originate from Bangladesh, were found in two restaurants during a specialist operation on Thursday.

“Acting on intelligence, officers targeted Viceroy Indian Restaurant, in Culme Way, Dunkeswell. at 5.30pm,” a UK Border Agency spokesman told the Midweek Herald..

“The immigration status of staff was checked and a 29-year-old kitchen worker was arrested on suspicion of entering the UK illegally.”

The spokesman added: “Officers then went to Taste of Bengal, in High Street, Honiton, entering at 7pm.

“There, two more Bangladeshi men – a 65-year-old chef and a 24-year-old kitchen worker – were arrested on suspicion of entering the UK illegally.

“All three were arrested and taken to Exeter police station. They remain in detention and, if it confirmed they are immigration offenders, steps will be taken to remove them from the UK.

“Both businesses were also served with civil penalty notices for employing illegal workers.”

If the employers are unable to provide evidence that legally-required checks were carried out before giving the workers jobs, a fine of up to �10,000 for each offender will be imposed.

Jane Farleigh, regional director of the UK Border Agency in Wales and the South West, said: “These successful operations show that our officers will find illegal workers wherever they are across Devon and the South West.

“If people want to work in the UK, there are ways they can come here legitimately. If they decide to ignore immigration laws, we will find them and look to remove them from the country.

“Any employer who takes on a foreign national without permission to work in the UK is breaking the law, undermining law-abiding businesses and faces a big fine.”

Advice for employers about how to employ migrant workers legally is available from the UK Border Agency on http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/employers/