Four Arrested and Illegal Goods Seized in Herefordshire Multi-Agency Crackdown
Four arrested and illegal e-bikes and shisha seized during business inspections in Herefordshire.
A series of unannounced inspections across Herefordshire has led to four arrests and the seizure of illegal goods and vehicles following a joint operation by West Mercia Police and partner agencies.
The coordinated enforcement activity, known as MATES (Multi Agency Targeted Enforcement Strategy), took place on Thursday 17 and Friday 18 July in Hereford and Ross-on-Wye. Officers were joined by Trading Standards, Licensing, Immigration Enforcement, and Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service as part of the Home Office-backed Safer Streets Summer campaign.
During the two-day operation:
Four arrests were made in connection with suspected immigration offences
Two illegal e-bikes, believed to be used by food delivery drivers, were seized
Around £2,000 worth of illicit shisha products were confiscated from a vape shop on Commercial Road in Hereford
One of the arrests took place at a nail bar in Ross-on-Wye’s Market Place, where a man in his 40s was found to have allegedly entered the UK illegally. Immigration officers bailed him at the scene and issued a civil penalty to the business owner.
Another man, in his 20s, was arrested on Commercial Street in Hereford, suspected of working illegally as a food delivery driver. He was bailed while further enquiries are made.
In Garrick Lane, Hereford, a man and woman, both in their 20s, were arrested at an Asian restaurant on suspicion of immigration offences and taken into custody by immigration officials.
However, the operation also found that eight premises were fully compliant with employment and safety regulations.
Police Sergeant Duncan Reynolds from Hereford’s Safer Neighbourhood Team said:
“Working with partners, this MATES op was one of our regular visits to food premises and shops to target suspected illegal workers and illegal goods.
Four arrests were made, illegal products and two e-bikes were seized, and further investigations are being carried out.”
The operation reflects the continued efforts of West Mercia Police and its partners to tackle illegal activity and ensure local businesses operate within the law.