ILLEGAL immigrants were discovered in Ringwood after officials swooped on two restaurants.

Immigration officers discovered three people without visas at Masala Indian Restaurant and Takeaway in Ringwood, while another was found at Pasha Restaurant in Waterlooville.

Enforcement officers discovered that the men, who were from Bangladesh, did not have a legal right to work in the UK after the operation on Friday.

They questioned staff at the restaurants and discovered that a 27-year-old man had overstayed his Tier 4 student visa, while a 29-year-old had entered the UK illegally.

Both were arrested.

Checks carried out on a 30-year-old man identified an outstanding immigration application which did not entitle him to work in the UK.

He was then escorted from the Masala restaurant and must report to Immigration Enforcement while his case is dealt with.

A 27-year-old man found at Pasha Restaurant was arrested after he was found to have overstayed his Tier 4 student visa.

The three men arrested have all been transferred to a detention facility pending removal from the UK.

Masala could face a penalty of up to £60,000 - £20,000 for each illegal worker - unless they can demonstrate that the correct checks were carried out before the man started work.

Assistant Director Carla Johnson, head of the South Central Immigration Enforcement team, said: “We take robust action against employers in Hampshire and Dorset which choose to use illegal labour.

“Illegal working is not victimless and can involve the exploitation of some of society’s most vulnerable people. It also defrauds the treasury of vital funds, undercuts businesses that provide an honest trade and cheats legitimate job seekers out of employment opportunities.

“We are happy to work with employers who want to play by the rules. However, those who attempt to cheat the rules can expect to be caught and to face stiff financial consequences.

“We rely on information from the public and I would urge people to report suspected immigration abuse to us.”

Anyone wanting to report suspected illegal immigrants can call the Immigration Enforcement hotline on 0300 123 7000.