The Andover Advertiser first with the news
Eight immigrants held in KFC raid
8:59am Saturday 23rd August 2008
EIGHT men have been arrested on suspicion of working illegally at a fast-food restaurant in Basingstoke and now face deportation.
Officers from the UK Border Agency carried out co-ordinated raids across Hampshire, acting on intelligence gathered from the Portsmouth-based enforcement team.
The men, four from India and four from Sri Lanka, were found to have been using false identity documents to live in the UK and were working in KFC at Basingstoke Leisure Park.
As a result of further enquiries, another Sri Lankan man, who was in the UK illegally, was arrested at a house in Basingstoke.
Officers also targeted KFC restaurants in Fleet and Yateley, where other Indian and Sri Lankan men were arrested on suspicion of working illegally.
The UK Border Agency confirmed that proceedings have begun to remove all those arrested from the country.
The owners of the Fleet and Yateley branch franchises were served with notices of potential liability and could now be hit with a fine of £10,000 for each employee working illegally.
A spokeswoman for the UK Border Agency said it appeared that the owner of the Basingstoke franchise had been supplied with documents that turned out to be false.
She said: "We are determined to put a stop to illegal working in London and the South East.
"Immigration officers are focusing on gathering hard intelligence and acting on it to ensure our laws are not abused."
A spokesman for KFC said: "We have strict employment practices across all of our stores, including franchise-owned outlets, and continue to work closely with the UK Border Agency."
The arrested men have now been released by the UK Border Agency and are subject to immigration bail.
Anyone who suspects that illegal workers are being employed at a business in or around the Basingstoke area can contact Crimestoppers confidentially on 0800 555 111.
Employers unsure of the steps they need to take to ensure they don't employ illegal workers can visit www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/employers/ or call the helpline on 0845 0106677.
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