THREE suspected illegal immigrants were arrested during a raid on a Swanage Indian restaurant.

Home Office Immigration Enforcement officers raided the Golden Bengal, High Street, Swanage, on Thursday, May 21.

As officers arrived, two men attempted to run from the building, but were detained by officers stationed at the rear of the premises. Checks revealed that the men, aged 25 and 24, were immigration offenders from Bangladesh. The 25-year-old had overstayed his visa and the 24-year-old had entered the UK illegally.

Checks on staff inside the restaurant identified a third immigration offender. The 36-year-old Bangladeshi man had entered the UK illegally.

All three men have been released on immigration bail and must report regularly to the Home Office while work to remove them from the country is carried out.

The business now faces a potential penalty of as much as £60,000 - £20,000 for each of the illegal workers. To avoid a civil penalty the owners must demonstrate that appropriate pre-employment checks were carried out, such as seeing a passport or Home Office document.

Carla Johnson, from Home Office Immigration Enforcement, said: “As this operation demonstrates, we are working hard to arrest and remove those who abuse the UK’s immigration system.

“Using illegal labour is not a victimless crime. It cheats the taxpayer, undercuts businesses who ply an honest trade and deprives legitimate job seekers of employment opportunities.

“There are simple checks employers can carry out to ensure their employees have the right to work in the UK.

“Those who choose to ignore the rules will face the consequences. I would urge anyone with detailed and specific information about suspected immigration abuse to contact us.”