Author: ludlowadvertiser.co.uk
TWO people were arrested during immigration raids at Worcester takeaways.
The intelligence-led operations at Curry Hut, Upper Tything, and Munchies, Lowesmoor, were carried out by immigration enforcement officers.
During the visits, which were supported by officers from West Mercia Police, checks were completed to ensure staff had the right to live and work in the UK.
The first operation took place at about 5.50pm at Curry Hut, where they arrested a 24-year-old Bangladeshi man who had overstayed his visa.
An eyewitness, who saw the raid and asked to remain anonymous, said: “I was going passed when I saw an immigration enforcement vehicle outside Curry Hut. The officers were talking to three people in front of the takeaway. Obviously I couldn’t hear what was said but I did see officers take away one person.”
Following this, at about 9.40pm, officers visited Munchies, where they arrested a 28-year-old Afghan man who had entered the UK illegally.
A member of staff at the takeaway, who refused to give his name, claimed the 28-year-old man was actually a customer.
He said: “They asked for identification for everyone in the premises as they should. The man wasn’t actually a worker he was an asylum seeker who was in the shop at the time of the raid.”
He added that, from his experience, the takeaway asks to see passports, national insurance cards and other identification before taking on staff.
Both men were detained pending removal from the UK.
Curry Hut and Munchies were both served a civil penalty referral notice warning that a financial penalty of up to £20,000 per illegal worker found will be imposed unless the employer can demonstrate that appropriate right-to-work document checks were carried out, such as seeing a passport or Home Office document confirming permission to work.
The raid took place on Saturday, April 28.
Last year this paper reported that officers arrested two men, from South East Asia, on suspicious of being in the country illegally.
Source: http://www.ludlowadvertiser.co.uk/news/regional/16217900.Two_people_arrested_at_immigration_raids_at_city_takeaways/
