ASYLUM seekers with no right to work in the UK have been caught delivering parcels in a swoop by immigration officers.
The Sun joined enforcement officers and as they stopped dozens of vans leaving a DPD warehouse on Monday.
Intelligence reports had suggested men were working illegally — with some suspected of driving without a UK licence.
During a 6am briefing, officers were given the names of Indian and Romanian nationals they believed to be involved in an illegal working scam operating out of the DPD warehouse in .
Vehicles were stopped after workers had started their shifts and filled them up with the day’s deliveries.
By 9am, two Indian males had been flagged as having no right to work in the UK.
Both were out in uniforms with marked vans, raising questions about what checks the delivery firm had carried out.
The two men were who had arrived on student visas.
They were arrested and bailed pending further investigation.
Later, another Indian man who had overstayed his student visa was arrested behind the wheel of a DPD van.
Two of the drivers arrested worked for DPD, one for DHL.
Officers from Lincolnshire Police also found vans with no insurance and illegally worn tyres.
The force also confirmed a 27-year-old man from the area was arrested on suspicion of drug-driving.
He was released under investigation.
By midday, more than 30 vans had been stopped and each driver quizzed on their immigration status.
Chief immigration officer Stacey Donnelly told The Sun the operation had been intelligence-led.
She said her team within the were seeing immigration offences being carried out within parcel delivery companies more frequently.
She added: “We know the abuse is there. Our work is to tackle that and also then tackle the employers as well.”
Companies face fines of up to £45,000 per illegal worker for a first breach and £60,000 for repeat offending.
DPD is one of the largest parcel delivery services in the world, operating in almost 50 countries.
Last night, DPD said: “Right to Work checks are in place across DPD for both our colleagues and our delivery partners and we remain fully committed to working with the Home Office to tackle illegal working in our sector.”
