Eleven arrested in Australian immigration raids
January 19 2010 by Liam Clifford
A new surge in illegal workers working as plasterers across Adelaide has seen eleven detained in a clampdown in the region.
Raids across Adelaide’s North-Eastern region resulted in eleven arrests at the weekend, Australian immigration has confirmed.
The operation was carried out by Immigration and Citizenship officers at the weekend, the 11 men arrested were all Chinese nationals and were captured in the same property.
The investigation focussed on illegal workers in the building industry and follows other high-profile enquiries.
An Australian immigration spokesperson said enquiries were ongoing into the ringleaders' of the gangs responsible for organising and employing the illegal workers. Of those detained, eight are believed to be illegal immigrants; the remaining three were detained on suspicion of breaching their Australian visa conditions.
All now face potential charges and being deported to China.
The arrests follow a trend of Chinese nationals both living and working illegally in the building sector, particularly as plasterers in Adelaide.
The department of Australian immigration said that the raids should serve as a warning to individuals hiring and harbouring illegal immigrants in Australia, the maximum fine a employer could face if found to be hiring illegal workers is AUS$66,000 per worker.
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