FOUR men and one woman from Albania are facing deportation after an immigration raid on a Monmouth house.

Officers from Monmouth Police Station joined Immigration Enforcement officials in a joint operation to detain the five yesterday (Tuesday, February 20).

Acting on a tip off, four men aged 22 to 24 and a 21-year-old woman were found to be living illegally in the UK.

They are now in immigration detention while steps are taken to deport them, a Home Office spokesman said.

PC Jenny Morgan added: “Four men and one woman, all in their 20s who were illegally in the UK, were arrested by Border Agency staff in a joint operation with Monmouth police officers, following recent local intelligence.”

The incident follows other raids on a Wyedean curry house and a petrol station convenience store.

The owners of the Newent Tandoori in Broad Street, Newent, are facing a potential fine of up to £60,000 after three illegal workers from Bangladesh were arrested there on January 24.

A Home Office spokesman said a 34-year-old man had overstayed his student visa, a 37-year-old man had overstayed his work visa, and a 45-year-old man had entered the UK illegally. All three were detained pending their removal from the UK.

The business has been served a referral notice in relation to the illegal workers, which warns that a financial penalty of up to £20,000 per illegal worker found will be imposed unless the employer can demonstrate that appropriate right-to-work document checks were carried out.

A 37-year-old Indian man who had overstayed his student visa was also found working illegally at the Hursts store at the Newport Road BP garage in Chepstow when officers raided the business at 5.30am on January 16.

The man was released after questioning and has now made an immigration application.