188体育

SIA聽investigators聽launched the聽day of action聽on 31 October聽in聽partnership with聽Home Office Immigration聽Enforcement,听targeting 11 locations聽spanning the length and breadth of the country.

Two聽people聽were arrested by Home Office Immigration Enforcement (HOIE) officers for overstaying their visas聽during the joint investigation聽in Yeovil and Ilkeston. One聽individual聽in Ilkeston聽was聽also聽cautioned under section 22 of the Private Security Industry Act (PSIA).

The聽synchronised,听unannounced聽visits聽were聽aimed at disrupting potential聽organised聽criminal activity聽linked to security company staff working聽at construction sites聽throughout the country, from the south coast to聽the聽north-west.

The聽extensive enforcement and intelligence-gathering聽operation was聽devised聽after聽the SIA鈥檚 Intelligence team聽received聽allegations聽of serious criminal activity, including聽SIA licence fraud,听organised immigration crime, labour exploitation and money laundering.

Pete Easterbrook, Head of Criminal聽Enforcement聽at the SIA, said:

This聽operation聽was聽a result of intelligence聽originating聽from within the聽private security industry which聽was聽developed听补苍诲听analysed聽by our Intelligence team听补苍诲听involved聽collaboration by聽our Criminal Enforcement听补苍诲听Compliance and Inspections聽teams.聽Investigators聽from the SIA聽and Home Office Immigration聽worked聽together to聽plan and聽execute intelligence-led enforcement action up and down the country, from聽East Sussex to Lancashire.

Thanks to these combined efforts聽we聽have struck a significant blow against those聽seeking聽to聽use the private security industry as a vehicle for criminality including聽the聽exploitation聽of聽vulnerable聽people.

Operations聽like this聽are vital in our mission to protect the聽public by ensuring that those who聽seek聽to聽seriously聽undermine the regulatory regime are brought to justice.聽Our message is clear.聽There is no place for criminality within the UK private security industry聽and we聽will聽take action to disrupt聽criminal聽operations and bring offenders to justice.聽We are resolute in our efforts to safeguard both the public and legitimate security operatives from these illegal practices.聽Where we get credible intelligence of illegal activity,听we聽have the will and capability聽to act聽decisively听补苍诲听take robust聽action.

Investigators targeted聽locations in:

• Yorkshire
• Somerset
• Norfolk
• Derbyshire
• Staffordshire
• East聽and West聽Sussex
• Berkshire
• Lancashire

Eddy Montgomery, Director of Enforcement, Compliance and Crime at the Home Office, said:

Exploitation of illegal workers within the UK construction industry is on the rise, with rogue employers showing complete disregard to the safety and rights of legal foreign workers who contribute significantly to this sector.

Our Immigration Enforcement officers are working closely with other government agencies to intensify efforts to tackle illegal working in construction as part of a broad series of operations across multiple sectors.

I would like to thank the Security Industry Authority for their effective collaboration in cracking down on fraudulent employers who are violating laws, impacting public finances, and exploiting vulnerable people for financial gain.

This is part of wider enforcement activity the SIA is conducting as part of Operation Empower to tackle labour exploitation within the private security industry.

The SIA聽is聽unable to聽give聽further details聽of the聽arrests聽at this stage, given the potential impact on any future criminal prosecutions.

Anyone who is concerned about labour exploitation within the private security industry can鈥�report it to the SIA and other agencies.

Note to editors

The SIA is the organisation responsible for regulating the private security industry in the UK, reporting to the Home Secretary under the terms of the聽. The SIA鈥檚 main duties are the compulsory licensing of individuals undertaking designated activities and managing the voluntary Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS).

For further information about the SIA or to sign up聽鈥媐or email updates visit聽. We also post articles and updates on聽. The SIA is on聽,听听补苍诲听.

Media enquiries

For media enquiries only, please email the SIA at: [email protected].