THE MANAGER of another restaurant has been fined for employing an illegal worker, it emerged last night.

Ajaz Hussain, of the Bollywood Buffet on Albert Street in Dundee , was hit with a £5000 civil penalty following a swoop by the UK Border Agency.

Immigration officers arrested a Bangladeshi man working in the restaurant on June 26 following a tip off that he did not have the correct papers.

Mr Hussain was issued with an on-the-spot notice warning he might receive a fine for employing the man, and the penalty was formally imposed on July 10.

A spokesperson for the UK Border Agency said, “A Bangladeshi man was arrested on June 26 following an intelligence- led operation at the Bollywood Buffet.

“After examining whether the proper checks had been carried out by the employer, the fine was imposed.”

Mr Hussain told The Courier the fine was the result of an “oversight.”

“One particular employee had overstayed on his visa. It was an oversight on our part and we accept the decision.

“We are now seeking legal advice on how we can resolve the situation.”

The raid was made public yesterday just days after it was revealed that Tariq Ahmad of the Gul Anar Jahar takeaway in Monifieth was the first operator in Tayside to be fined under the new penalty system.

Two illegal workers were arrested at the High Street takeaway earlier this year after another raid by the agency.

Mr Ahmad has been fined £10,000—a charge he is appealing.

Meanwhile, another two Dundee restaurants are facing fines running into tens of thousands of pounds after three men from Pakistan were arrested for immigration offences.

Last week the documents of one man working at the Sinbad takeaway in Orleans Place, Menzieshill, and two members of staff at the Taza restaurant in City Quay were checked.

All three were arrested and steps to remove them from the country are under way.

It is not yet known if the owners of these restaurants will face fines.

Inquiries are continuing into the hiring procedures of restaurants and takeaways in Perth after 11 men were arrested in June.

Ten of those arrested were of Asian extraction, while one worker was Iranian.

Restaurateurs across the region have been warned that they face up to two years in jail for knowingly using illegal workers.

The agency’s regional director of Scotland and Northern Ireland Phil Taylor said, “These operations in Dundee are being repeated in cities, towns and villages throughout Scotland every week.

“We are determined to step in and identify businesses that are breaking immigration laws and they now face substantial fines for not making proper right-to-work checks on their employees.”

The civil penalties system was introduced by the Home Office in February to catch those working illegally.

Employers unsure of how to avoid employing illegal workers can call the UK Border Agency Employers Helpline on 0845 010 6677 or visit the Home Office website.