Chinese takeaway owners in Fife are facing a £60,000 fine after a raid by immigration officials.
Three illegal workers were arrested at the Fat Panda in Dunfermline on Saturday and steps are now being taken to remove them from the UK.
Enforcement officers swooped on the Chalmers Street premises at around 5.30pm following intelligence received from the public.
There, they found Chinese men, aged 39, 42 and 47, working illegally.
Immigration checks showed the 42-year-old and the 47-year-old had entered the country illegally, while the 39-year-old had overstayed a visa.
The business was served a referral notice warning that a financial penalty of up to £20,000 per illegal worker would be imposed unless it could be proved the employer carried out appropriate right-to-work document checks.
These could include seeing a passport or Home Office document confirming permission to work.
If proof is not provided, the potential total fine could be as high as £60,000.
Assistant director Ian Tylesley, head of the immigration compliance and enforcement team in Scotland, said: “We are happy to work with businesses to explain the simple pre-employment checks needed to establish a person’s right to work in the UK, but to those who choose to ignore the rules the message is clear – we will find you and you will face a heavy financial penalty.
“Illegal working is not victimless. It undercuts honest employers, cheats legitimate job seekers out of employment opportunities and defrauds the public purse.
“I urge anyone with specific and detailed information about suspected immigration abuse to get in touch.”
People with information about suspected immigration abuse can visit www.gov.uk/government/collections/employers-illegal-working-penalties
The website includes a quick answer right-to-work tool to help employers check if someone has the right to work in the UK.
