Six workers have been found to have been working in breach of UK immigration law at restaurants in Gwynedd.
A raid conducted by UK Border Agency (UKBA) officers found four men working illegally at the Spice Rack on Criccieth High Street and two additional men also working illegally at the Passage to India on Lombard Street, Porthmadog.
During the raid on the Spice Bank, two of the staff members attempted to evade the officers by hiding behind a door but were late caught. All six of the men have since been questioned and transferred to UK immigration detention centres to await their removal from the country.
Meanwhile, both restaurants could now face fines of up to £10,000 for each worker unless they can provide evidence that the correct right-to-work checks were made before employing the individuals. These checks can be as simple as asking to see a UK visa or UK work permit, but help to ensure that businesses are playing their role in reducing illegal working.
Richard Johnson, immigration inspector with the UKBA, commented on the cases: "We are carrying out frequent operations across North Wales and where we find people who are here illegally we will seek to remove them. We are also targeting employers who take on illegal workers - fuelling illegal immigration and undercutting law-abiding businesses.
"Companies who fail to carry out the legally-required checks on staff should know that we are out there looking for them and they will face heavy fines."