18 ‘illegal workers’ arrested in immigration raid on DPD delivery depot in crackdown on parcel workers

Next EIGHTEEN workers have been arrested in an immigration bust at a busy DPD delivery depot. The staff were detained on suspicion of immigration offences during the crackdown on illegal working in the parcel delivery sector. 4 18 people were arrested at the raid at Wolverhampton’s DPD delivery depot Credit: X 4 DPD has been hit with a Civil Penalty Referral Notice after officials swooped Credit: X Advertisement Officers swooped at DPD’s site in Dudley Port, Wolverhampton , on Tuesday, September 29. Footage circulating widely on social media appears to show workers in DPD uniforms sitting beside their vans as Home Office officials patrol around them. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Email address Please provide a valid email. Your info will be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy You'll now receive top stories, breaking news, and more, straight to your email. The business was stung with a Civil Penalty Referral Notice, meaning further investigations will now take place to establish whether it has any liability. Under the rules, businesses can face hefty fines if they are found to have employed illegal workers and failed to carry out the required right-to-work checks. Read More in UK News MIGRANT SWOOP Nine DPD parcel workers arrested in crackdown on migrants working illegally PHONE FURY Moment DPD driver steals £1,200 iPhone after taking pic of himself delivering it 4 Birdseye view of the DPD depot in Wolverhampton where the immigration raid occurred Credit: Google Earth 4 Immigration Enforcement officers conducting a raid at a DPD depot in the south of England in June Fines can reach £45,000 per worker for a first breach and rise to £60,000 for repeat offending. In the most serious cases, businesses can also face prosecution. Advertisement A Home Office spokesperson told The Sun: “We will not stand for illegal working. “Since coming into office, immigration enforcement activity has risen to its highest level on record under this government, with illegal working arrests up by 122 per cent. Most read in The Sun DEATH TWIST Christa Pike’s death sentence could be OVERTURNED over botched lethal injection PLAGUE ALERT White House on high alert as scientist, 28, 'dies from plague in lab accident' HOUSING FURY Spain calls snap election over housing crisis after 500,000 protest on streets “We have strengthened right to work requirements to cover the parcel delivery sector, helping to ensure appropriate checks are carried out. “Businesses failing to meet their obligations may face fines of up to £60,000 per illegal worker and, in the most serious cases, criminal prosecution.” But DPD has insisted it has robust checks in place and said it has not been served with a penalty notice. Advertisement A spokesman said: “At DPD we take our legal obligations extremely seriously and we have right to work checks in place for all of our people. “In addition, we have carried out a review of these procedures ahead of the new legislation that came into force recently, and we will continue to support and work closely with the Home Office on this issue. “We can also confirm DPD has not been served with a Penalty Notice.” The latest crackdown comes months after nine people were arrested at two DPD depots in the south of England . Immigration Enforcement officers swooped on sites in Basingstoke, Hampshire, and Newbury, Berkshire, on June 11. Advertisement Right-to-work checks were carried out on more than 100 people across the two sites. RECOMMENDED STORIES Seven Indian nationals, one Ghanaian national and one Pakistani national were arrested on suspicion of immigration offences. All nine were placed on immigration bail with conditions while further inquiries took place.