From wheels to cuffs: UK arrests hundreds in in ‘delivery rider’ illegal work dragnet, Indians included

Operation Equalise resulted in 51 businesses receiving civil penalty notices and police seizing 58 e-bikes, GBP 8,000 cash, and nearly half a million pounds in illicit cigarettes.

London: UK authorities have arrested hundreds of people, including Indians, during a week-long crackdown targeting two-wheeler riders suspected of working illegally for delivery firms across the country.

The UK Home Office revealed that its Immigration Enforcement teams recently conducted Operation Equalise as part of a “nationwide intensification week of activity” focused on illegal working hotspots, particularly migrants working as delivery riders.

Between July 20 and 27, a total of 1,780 individuals were stopped, leading to 280 arrests of migrants and asylum seekers found working without proper documentation, the Home Office said.

During one raid in Hillingdon, west London, officers arrested seven Indian nationals, five of whom were detained for illegal work activity.

“Illegal working undermines our border security and we’re cracking down hard on it. That’s why we have intensified our enforcement activity across the UK to catch those who think they can evade immigration and employment laws,” said Dame Angela Eagle, UK Minister for Border Security and Asylum.

“This operation is just one example of our relentless efforts to bear down on organised immigration crime at every level in our communities,” she added.

As a direct outcome of Operation Equalise, the Home Office said 53 individuals are now having their asylum support reviewed, which could result in suspension or withdrawal of support such as accommodation or payments.

The operation follows a Home Office warning last month that food delivery workers caught abusing the immigration system could lose asylum support and face removal from the UK.

The Home Office also announced a GBP 5 million funding boost for Immigration Enforcement teams to intensify illegal working raids further.

This funding, part of a GBP 100 million investment for border security announced last week, aims to increase the frequency of visits to illegal working hotspots and enhance intelligence gathering to support frontline enforcement.

“We continue to intensify activity against those who think they can get away with illegal work. My teams have been working round the clock across the country, and I thank them for their hard work, co-operation, and skill in dealing with this challenging issue,” said Eddy Montgomery, Director of Enforcement, Compliance and Crime at the UK Home Office.

In addition to arrests, 51 businesses—including car washes, restaurants, and retail outlets—were issued Civil Penalty Referral Notices, potentially facing hefty fines if found to employ illegal workers or fail to conduct proper pre-employment checks.

The operation was supported by police forces across the UK, with officers seizing 71 vehicles during the week, including 58 e-bikes, as well as GBP 8,000 in cash under the Proceeds of Crime Act and around GBP 460,000 worth of illicit cigarettes.

This crackdown forms part of broader efforts to tighten laws on illegal migration, including stricter legal requirements for companies to verify employees’ legal work status through the government’s Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill currently in Parliament.