TWO men have been arrested after immigration officials raided an Indian restaurant in Whitefield.

UK Border Force staff went to Mogul Restaurant in Sefton Street yesterday and arrested a 28-year-old man and a 42-year-old man, both from Pakistan.

A Home Office spokesman said both their visas had expired.

Under immigration laws, Mogul’s owners have been served with a notice ordering them to produce the correct paperwork, or face a fine of up to £20,000.

An Immigration Service spokesman said: “These arrests will act as a stark warning to anyone in Manchester who is in the UK illegally.

“We will catch up with you and you will face arrest, detention and removal from the country.”

Mogul manager Imran Rashid said: “We took the two men on a few weeks ago and asked to see their passports and National Insurance details.

“They were provided and we asked to see the correct visa documents and were awaiting them in full knowledge that the men were still serving their probationary period with us.

“The visit from the Border Force came as a complete shock. We trusted the men and it looks like that was a mistake.”

He added: “It’s never happened to us before and I hope we can avoid a fine, as such a penalty would put a massive stress on the business at a time when all businesses are struggling.

“We will cooperate fully with the authorities and hand over all the documents we have.

"We have learned our lesson. From now on we will be ensuring all new staff show all their documents before starting. If they don't have them, there will be no job for them."