London, Jun 8 (PTI): Britain's immigration sleuths have arrested 40 Indian citizens who were working illegally in Leicester in the UK, and have started the process of deporting them to India, official sources here said.

The UK Border Agency led a raid on 12 textile businesses in Leicester yesterday. More than 70 immigration officers entered the premises and checked the immigration status of about 80 workers. A total of thirty three men and women, including 28 Indian nationals, were found to have no right to be in the UK.

Immigration Minister Damian Green said: "This operation is one of the largest we have conducted in the Midlands and reinforces our determination to identify and remove more people with no legal right to work in this country".

On May 26, officers visited a clothing manufacturer in Leicester where immigration checks revealed that 14 members of staff, including 12 Indian migrants, had no permission to work. Leicester has a large minority of Indian origin.

The official sources said that it was also discovered that a number of the employers in Leicester were paying their workers less than the national minimum wage. Chief Inspector Adam Streets, Leicestershire police said: "This operation demonstrates the commitment of all the agencies involved in tackling immigration abuse and we will continue to assist in operations such as this, sharing information and targeting those responsible for immigration crime."

The companies found employing illegal workers now face potential fines of up to 10,000 pounds for each illegal worker, unless they can prove that they carried out the correct pre-employment checks.