Eleven employees at fast food outlets in Caithness have been found to be working illegally following raids on premises in Wick and Thurso.
Five were detained and the owners of three of the premises face fines.
>> Keep up to date with the latest news with The P&J newsletter
Immigrant enforcement officers, backed by police, acted on information to carry out the unannounced visits.
Checks at the Bombay Spice in Bridge Street, Wick, revealed two Bangladeshi nationals, aged 29 and 48, as well as a 50-year-old Pakistani national, were working illegally.
The 29-year-old, who had overstayed his visa, was detained while steps are now being taken to remove him from the UK.
The others, both of whom had entered the UK illegally, were ordered to report to Immigration Enforcement on a regular basis while their cases are reviewed.
In the nearby Bombay Express in High Street, a further four Bangladesghi nationals were discovered to be working illegally.
Two men, aged 27 and 44, and an illegal entrant to the UK, aged 43, and an illegal entrant aged 43, were detained while steps are also taken to remove them from the UK.
A 27-year-old found working there, who has an outstanding immigration application, but no permission to work, was ordered to report regularly to Immigration Enforcement.
In Thurso, a separate team raided Shelina Spice and Krispy Chicken and Fish Bar, both in Provost Sinclair Road.
Three Bangladesh nationals, aged 41, 56 and 63, were discovered working illegally in the Shelina Spice. The 63-year-old, who had entered the UK illegally, was detained with the intention of deporting him.
The 41-year-old, who was working in breach of his visa conditions, and the 56-year-old, who had entered the UK illegally, were ordered to report to Immigration Enforcement.
A further two Bangladeshis, aged 31 and 35, working at the Krispy Chicken and Fish Bar were found to have overstayed their visas and both were ordered to report to Immigration Enforcement.
A spokeswoman for Immigration Enforcement – part of the Home Office – said the two Wick outlets and Shelina Spice were all served with referral notices, warning of a financial penalty of up to £20,000 per illegal worker.
