A NUMBER of illegal workers were arrested by Home Office enforcement teams at two Dorset restaurants.

Officers visited Jidan Taj in Seabourne Road, Bournemouth, and Galaxy Pizza in Alder Road, Poole, acting on intelligence that both businesses were employing staff with no right to work in the UK.

At Jidan Taj at around 6.40pm, they arrested three Bangladeshi men – a 33-year-old who had overstayed his visa and a pair, aged 39 and 41, who had entered the country illegally.

At Galaxy Pizza at around 8pm, officers found a 28-year-old man working in breach of his visa conditions.

The 41-year-old was trans-ferred to immigration detention, pending removal from the UK.

The other men were placed on immigration bail and also face removal if found to have no leave to remain.

Both businesses face civil penalties of £10,000 per illegal worker unless they can prove the correct right-to-work checks were carried out.

Immigration enforcement team head Carla Johnson said: “These arrests are a clear warning to those in Dorset abusing our immigration laws.

“There will be no slowdown in our efforts to arrest, detain and remove you from the UK.

“Employers who use illegal labour are defrauding the tax-payer, undercutting genuine employers and denying legit-imate job hunters work.

“We’re happy to work with employers who want to play by the rules but those which continue to flout them will face heavy financial penalties.

“I would urge anyone with detailed and specific information about suspected immigration abuse to get in touch.”

Last month Sahid, 45, and Mortuja Miah, 42, were ordered to pay £145,000 in confiscation orders and fines after pleading guilty to employing nine illegal workers at the Taj Mahal in Westbourne and the Taj Mahal II in Poole town centre between 2008 and 2010.

To report suspected immig-ration abuse visit gov.uk/report-immigration-crime or call Crime-stoppers on 0800 555 111.

Employers can call 0300 123 4699 for advice on how to avoid employing illegal workers.