HOME Office officials have swooped in and arrested two Indian men whose visas had expired and who were deemed to be remaining illegally in this country.

The two incidents which happened yesterday (Tuesday 16) in Chepstow and Woolaston are not said to be related.

Home Office Immigration Enforcement officers raided a flat on Bulwark Road in Chepstow in the morning before embarking on their second raid at Netherend Stores in Woolaston.

Both men, who are 21, have been confirmed as immigration offenders and await to be sent to a detention centre before being extradicted back to India.

Richard Johnson from Home Office Immigration Enforcement said: "Acting on information received, two men from India have been arrested. Immigration checks carried out on a 21-year-old Indian man found there revealed he had stayed in the UK illegally after his visa expired. A raid was then carried out on Netherend Stores, Woolaston, where a second 21-year-old Indian man was working. Checks revealed he had also over-stayed his visa."

It is unknown when the visas of both men expired but now they are currently being held at Newport and Gloucester Police Stations respectively. They are due to be transferred to immigration detention to await removal from the UK.

Richard Johnson continued: "Where we find people living and working illegally in the UK we will seek to remove them. We would urge anyone with information about suspected immigration offenders to get in touch so we can take action."

Netherend Stores was handed a penalty notice and will now have to provide proof to the Home Office that the correct right-to-work checks were carried out or face a fine of up to £10,000 per illegal worker.

We were unable to contact the store manager at the Netherend Stores as the paper went to press.