Eight people arrested on suspicion of immigration offences in Preston following a series of UK Border Agency raids.
Two Preston businesses were targeted on 6 December. The agency carried out checks on staff to see if they were legally entitled to work in the UK.
Three illegal workers were discovered at Chester Chicken on Moor Lane who had all overstayed their visas and were arrested.
Officers also visited an address in Georges Road, Preston where three more Indian men were found and arrested on suspicion of overstaying their visas.
Hungry Eyes on New Hall Lane was later visited where two Indian men were arrested after it was discovered that they had overstayed their visas.
The businesses were served with civil penalty notices for employing the illegal workers. If the employers are unable to provide evidence that legally required checks were carried out before employing the workers (such as asking for a passport or a Home Office document) a penalty of up to £10,000 will be imposed.
Every year, the UK Border Agency imposes civil penalties on hundreds of companies which fail to carry out proper right-to-work checks on staff.
Employers unsure of the steps they need to take to avoid employing illegal workers should visit the Preventing illegal working pages, or they can call the agency’s employers helpline on 0300 123 4699.
Anyone who suspects that illegal workers are being employed at a business can report crime on this website, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.