Immigration swoop leads to three arrests

Acting on intelligence, officers visited the Masala Hut restaurant on Main Street, Moira, at 7pm last Friday (December 13) and questioned staff to check if they had the right to be in the UK.

Two Bangladeshi men, aged 25 and 32, who had allegedly overstayed their visas were found working 
illegally and arrested.

The Masala Hut will be served with a notice warning that a civil penalty of up to £10,000 per illegal worker found will be imposed unless proof is provided that the correct right-to-work checks were carried out. This is a potential total of £20,000.

Earlier on Friday officers visited Jays Takeaway on Kingsway, Dunmurry. A 25-year-old Pakistani man who allegedly overstayed his visa was found in a bedroom above the premises and arrested.

All three men are currently in immigration detention while steps are taken to remove them from the country.

Assistant Director Mike Golden, from the Home Office’s Northern Ireland Immigration Enforcement Team, said: “We are working hard to track down people breaking the UK’s immigration laws and carry out regular operations across Northern Ireland.”

Employers needing more inforrmation on their responsibilites can visit www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/business-sponsors/preventing-illegal-working/ or they can call the Employers Helpline on 0300 123 4699.

Anyone with information about suspected immigration abuse can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.