Officers discovered a man from Lesotho without valid entry to the UK, who had an extensive criminal history in Ireland.
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A crackdown targeting organised criminal gangs has led to the arrest of 32 immigration offenders.
Live Facial Recognition technology and over 100 officers were deployed as part of a three-day operation targeting exploitation of the Common Travel Area – a route often abused by criminal gangs and migrants attempting to enter the UK illegally.
Law enforcement agencies provided 24/7 coverage of various seaports, airports, roads and rail networks across England and Wales in an effort to catch those circumventing UK immigration laws.
Among the 32 arrested was a male from Lesotho who was intercepted at Holyhead Port in Wales.
Officers discovered he did not have valid entry to the UK and was wanted by Irish authorities for a domestic violence offence.
The man, who had an extensive criminal history in Ireland, was immediately returned to Ireland and into the arms of the Irish authorities.
Four Pakistani males who arrived at Birmingham airport from Belfast were found not to have valid UK visas, and all had outstanding UK asylum claims.
As they had broken their reporting conditions by travelling to Northern Ireland, all four individuals had their asylum applications withdrawn.
Following a traffic stop on the A55, a North Wales Expressway, an Indian male was discovered to be a visa overstayer with a failed asylum application, suspected of working illegally for a delivery company.
The individual was arrested, and steps to remove him from the UK are now underway.
A civil penalty is also being considered for the company pending further employment checks. They could face up to £60,000 worth of fines.
The action builds on previous successful results from Operation Combys, which have seen nearly 200 arrests of organised criminals and immigration offenders since Labour took office.
Since the election, the operation has seen officers seize over £435,000 of criminal cash.
The last record-breaking Operation Comby led to 28% of people encountered being removed or deported from British soil.
Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Alex Norris said: “We are continuing to deliver in our fight against those who attempt to make a mockery of our borders.
“This operation is yet another example of this government’s work to restore order and control to our borders by ensuring those who have no right to be here are detained and removed.
“Let me be clear, if you’re involved in organised immigration crime, you will face the full force of the law. We will stop at nothing to protect our borders.”
Regional lead for Immigration Enforcement – Criminal Financial Investigations, Ben Thomas said: “This operation has provided excellent results and brought swift justice to the immigration offenders who think they can get away with exploiting our borders.
“I’d like to thank my teams across the country, as well as our partners from the police, for their outstanding work and collaboration to protect our border security.”
