Five illegal workers arrested in raid on Merchants of Spice restaurant in Norwich

Five illegal workers were arrested in an immigration raid on Colegate’s Merchants of Spice restaurant in Norwich last week.

Acting on intelligence, immigration officials visited the premises at 5:40 p.m. on Friday, April 7.

The company was served with a civil sanction notice concerning five illegal workers who were arrested. The notice warns that a financial penalty of up to £ 20,000 per illegal worker found could be imposed unless the employer can demonstrate that proper checks of the right to work documents have been carried out, such as consultation of a passport or a document from the Ministry of the Interior confirming the authorization to work. . If proof is not provided this represents a potential total of up to £ 100,000.

Liz Richardson, of the Norfolk Immigration Enforcement team, said: “Those who use and exploit illegal workers face hefty financial penalties.

“We are happy to work with companies in Norwich to ensure that the right pre-employment checks are carried out, but those who intend to operate outside the law will be found and will be punished.

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“The use of illegal work is not without its victims. It deceives the taxpayer, undermines honest businesses and deceives legitimate job seekers with employment opportunities.

“All of our operations are intelligence driven and I encourage anyone with detailed and specific information on illegal immigration to contact us.”

Immigration checks showed that four Bangladeshi men, aged 28 to 31, had all exceeded their student visas and a fifth Bangladeshi man, aged 31, had entered the country illegally. All five have been arrested and detained while steps are taken to remove them from the UK.

Those with information about suspected immigration abuses can contact https://www.gov.uk/report-immigration-crime or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.