A raid on a Manchester warehouse saw suspected illegal immigrant workers scrambling for cover inside cardboard boxes and even onto the roof of the six storey building. The chaos came yesterday morning after UK Border Agency officials, along with officers from the local police force, burst through the doors of Majid House in Ardwick’s Devonshire Street North.

There were a total of 65 people at work inside the building, 23 of which were arrested. 21 males and two females from Pakistan and Afghanistan were suspected of being illegal workers in the UK, with questioning lasting long into the night.

In addition to standard penalty notices and fines the UKBA is also investigating potential breaches of minimum wage legislation and health and safety regulations.

The warehouse had been under investigation for months by UKBA officials, with the raid eventually scheduled after intelligence was gathered on the 20 or so separate businesses inside the building, mainly clothing workers producing items for wholesalers.

The UKBA slammed what they call unscrupulous employers who disobey the law as this just brings more damage to the community in the long run. Deliberately bypassing safety and health laws can also result in a dangerous workplace.

The UKBA has used the raid to serve as a warning to other employers operating under similar systems, saying that all offenders would be caught.

Majid House was in the news earlier this year after an undercover sting resulted in slave labour claims against TNs knitwear, although no staff from that business were arrested in yesterday’s raid.

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