Figures show 4,200 immigrants caught

More than 4,200 illegal immigrants have been caught in Staffordshire and the Midlands and deported in the last year, new Home Office figures today reveal.

The figure is a 3.5 per cent increase on the previous year's 4,058, as police stepped up raids to tackle sham marriages, illegal workers and remove foreign nationals.

The number of intelligence-led operations carried out by UK Border Agency enforcement teams in the region have increased by almost a third from 2,212 in 2009 and 2010 to 2,899 in 2010 and 2011.

These have led to some 1,348 arrests this year in the Midlands, with employers and people smuggling criminal gangs also being prosecuted for taking on and bringing illegal workers into the country.

One raid carried out was on an Indian takeaway in Staffordshire.

Acting on intelligence, officers visited the Tandoori Kitchen Indian Takeaway in Small Lane, Eccleshall, and a 31-year-old Bangladeshi man was arrested after checks revealed he had overstayed his work permit.

In another operation, three suspected illegal immigrants were found working in Dudley following a series of raids.

Fines notices for £10,000 each were handed out to The Premier Shop in Quarry Bank High Street and Tasty Fish & Chip Shop in Pensnett High Street.

A woman was arrested from a house next door to the chip shop and was facing deportation back to India.

Figures released today reveal some 355 fines of up to £10,000 for each illegal worker have been issued to businesses, totalling £1.1million.

Nationally, more than 14,000 enforcement operations have taken place in the last year, resulting in 7,784 arrests.

In addition, some 41,000 illegal immigrants have also been removed. Officials have also collected £7million in fines.