Nine arrested in immigration raids on Fraserburgh and Mallaig ports

The operation included Border Security Command, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Police Scotland and the exploitation and modern slavery team.

Civil penalty referral notices were issued and a liable employer could face a fine of up to £60,000 per worker if it is found they employed illegal workers and failed to conduct the relevant pre-employment checks.

Anna Turley, UK minister for border security and asylum, said: “This government is tackling illegal working and ensuring unscrupulous employers are not exploiting vulnerable individuals and undercutting legitimate business.

“That is why in Scotland illegal working visits and arrests were at record levels in 2025, and have more than doubled across the UK since the election.”

Adam San, assistant director of Immigration Enforcement’s Threat Response and Volume Crime Unit, said: “Immigration Enforcement deal with threats across the UK and this is not limited to illegal activity occurring solely on land.

“These arrests demonstrate our ability to tackle all illegal working, in whatever form it takes.”