Immigration officers swooped on a Moray take-away in a hunt for people working illegally in the UK.
Police assisted the Home Office enforcement team in the raid on the Golden Sea Chinese take-away on Elgin’s Newmill Road.
Locals said the raid was one of a series targeting the region’s take-away restaurants.
Officials spent about two hours inside the Golden Sea premises, while approaching customers were turned away.
Police said there had been no arrests, but it is believed at least one employee was served papers.
Yesterday the Home Office said it was unable to go into details of the operation.
A spokesman for the Golden Sea also refused to comment.
However, one eye-witness, who did not want to be named, said: “One person left the restaurant with some papers while the police and immigration workers were inside.
“There must have been about a dozen people turned away during that time.
“It looked like the man was headed towards the Kingsmills area of the town.”
An assistant at the neighbouring McKenzie’s grocery store confirmed officers were there for “over an hour”, before the premises reopened later in the evening.
The shop assistant said that there had never been any suspicion of illegal activity at the restaurant before Friday’s raid took place.”
Residents living nearby said the drama had caused a stir, and admitted they were surprised to hear there could be problems with staff there.
One Newmill Road man, who asked not to be named, said: “My friend is a bus driver and he told me that on his route on Friday evening he noticed immigration vans outside a few of the take-away restaurants in Elgin.
“There must have been eight police officers outside the restaurant, in three different vehicles.
“To begin with it appeared they weren’t letting anyone in or out – so that did cause me some concern.
“It looked like something rather serious might have happened.
“But I think the two people that run the Golden Sea have managed it for about four years and there has been no trouble in that time.”
And Lorna Roy said: “I was watching television and a friend of mine called me to tell me what was going on.
“I think it’s only two or three people who work in the Golden Sea, so I was surprised to hear there could be a problem with the staff there.”
Elgin City North councillor Kirsty Reid added: “I don’t think illegal immigration is an issue we encounter often in Moray.
“I am familiar with the Golden Sea and can’t recall hearing of any problems like this in the past.”
Last year six illegal immigrants travelled from France to Moray after sneaking aboard a lorry bound for the Baxters food factory in Fochabers.
Four men from Afghanistan, one from Kuwait and one from India, all aged between 23-45, were later caught and deported.
In 2013 immigration officers deported four workers who were found to be working illegally at a restaurant in Buckie.
Two Chinese men, a Chinese woman and a Malaysian man were tracked at the China Town Restaurant on the town’s West Church Street,
Also that year, the Bengal Brasserie in Buckie was forced to close temporarily after five illegal workers were deported.
The Home Office immigration enforcement team’s Tonya Pentland said at the time: “We are sending a clear message to employers who choose to use illegal labour — we will find you.”