Two immigration offenders have been arrested during an Immigration Enforcement operation at a business in Lye.

Acting on intelligence, officers visited Khyber Mixed Grill and Pizza in the High Street on Wednesday 9 March, where they arrested two men from Afghanistan.

Both men, a 21-year-old failed asylum seeker and a 26-year-old who had entered the UK illegally, were ordered to report regularly to Immigration Enforcement while their cases are progressed.

The business was served a notice warning that a civil penalty of up to £20,000 per illegal worker found will be imposed unless they can demonstrate that appropriate right to work checks were carried out, such as seeing a passport or Home Office document confirming permission to work. This is a potential total of up to £40,000.

A spokesperson said: "Using illegal labour cheats the taxpayer, undercuts genuine employers and denies legitimate job hunters work".

The operation was supported by officers from West Midlands police. Anyone with information about suspected immigration abuse can report it at gov.uk/report-immigration-crime or by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Information to help employers carry out checks to prevent illegal working can be found at: http://ow.ly/ZQo7v