Six suspected illegal workers have been arrested and detained after a series of raids by UK Border Agency officials.
Raids took place in Caerphilly town, Trecenydd, and Penyrheol on Thursday February 9.
The UK Border Agency said it was acting on a tip-off when it raided the Spar store, in Mill Road, Caerphilly.
Immigration checks revealed that a 25-year-old Indian man was working in breach of the conditions of his visa, while a 28-year-old Indian man had stayed in the country after his visa expired.
Later the same day, officers went to a second Spar store – in St Cenydd Road, Trecenydd.
There, a 27-year-old Indian man was found to be a failed asylum seeker while checks found a 37-year-old Indian man had overstayed his visa.
Finally, officers went to Top Stores, Heol Aneurin, Penyrheol, where two more immigration offenders from India were found working.
A 21-year-old man had overstayed his visa, while a 32-year-old was a failed asylum seeker.
All six men arrested on Thursday remain in Ystrad Mynach police station pending their transfer to immigration detention and removal from the UK.
Businesses caught employing illegal workers face a penalty of up to £10,000 for each illegal worker unless evidence is provided to the UK Border Agency that the correct pre-employment checks were carried out on the men.
David Griffiths, who heads the UK Border Agency’s Local Immigration Team for Gwent, said: “This series of successful raids shows that our officers will track down immigration offenders wherever they are.
“As well as cracking down on people who are here illegally, we are taking action against the businesses which employ them.
“Any business that takes on a foreign national without permission to work is breaking the law and faces a heavy fine.”
its about time someone done something this country is going to the dogs thay just let anyone come in
the most anoying part of this story is that a large number were found worcking for a large chain of stors (spar) a compony that should most definatly know better
i whould like to see numbers on how meany ilegal worckers have bean found in the cearphilly area over the last 5 years as i know of a large number and with our unemploment rate as high as it is atm i whould much rather thows jobs go to thows who arnt bracking the law.
This operation was sucesful but I would like the Caerphilly Observer to follow the progress of these illegal workers through the system. It will be interesting to find out whether these individuals do, in fact, get deported.
Also, Geriant makes the good point that a large company employed these people. Were they paid the minimum wage? If not I hope the employer is taken to court to explain their position.
Just for the record "SPAR" is not a large chain store but a franchise. Therefore each shop is run independantly of each other!
If these few were found in these couple of stores i dread to think how many there are in cardiff?
As stated the outcome for these illegal workers will probably be that they remain in this country!
It's a funny old game l am sure you will agree, bizarre
Surely the employers are breaking the law,and, are by definition, criminals, by employing illegal immigrants?, so is this part of a wider conspiracy of providing illegal entry into Britain?.