Suffolk Police carried out an immigration welfare operation earlier this month which saw three arrested and one store closed over immigration offences.
This follows new stats that show immigration offences and arrests have risen year-on-year in the East of England over the last five years.
One business was shut after the sole worker was arrested (Image: Ipswich Police)
A total of 11 premises were visited and 13 welfare checks were carried out with business employees during the operation earlier in January by Suffolk Police and immigration enforcement.
Three arrests were made for immigration offences, and one store was shut.
Suffolk Police have now revealed to us that one Ipswich restaurant was visited based on intelligence that suggested illegal working was taking place.
One person was arrested for ‘overstaying their permission to be in the country’ but was subsequently released on bail as there were no indicators of exploitation.
The business was issued with a Civil Penalty Referral Notice (CPRN) by immigration officers at the scene – which can be up to £60,000.
Immigration offences in the East of England have risen by more than 1000% in the last five years (Image: Ipswich Police)
A nail bar in Ipswich was also visited based on previous immigration offences and other intelligence concerning possible exploitation.
One immigration arrest was made for a worker on site without working status. A further CPRN was issued against this business.
An Ipswich convenience store was visited in which the sole worker was arrested for illegal working and placed on immigration bail.
The business was issued with a CPRN and the worker was subsequently released on bail.
Because the sole worker in the shop was arrested, this effectively closed the shop.
There has been a 1318% increase in the East of England since 2021 where only 43 offences took place compared to 610 in 2025.
In 2024, 383 offences took place meaning they nearly doubled in the space of a year.