Two arrested in immigration raid on Indian restaurant (From Daily Echo)

UK Border Agency raids Coriander Lounge in Southampton

7:30am Friday 29th June 2012 in Food News

IMMIGRATION officials raided an upmarket Indian restaurant in Southampton just after it opened last night.

UK Border Agency officers swooped on Coriander Lounge in the High Street as it was serving customers.

One officer stood guard outside the front of the restaurant while others carried out checks with staff in the kitchen.

One customer, who did not want to be named, said: “We couldn’t believe it. We were there ordering some food when lots of people came bursting in. We thought it was police at first about an accident down the road. They spent ages out the back in the kitchen.”

A UKBA spokeswoman said two men, one Indian and one Bangladeshi, were arrested and were last night being held in police custody pending further inquiries into their immigration status.

Staff at the restaurant, which serves up a menu of authentic Indian and Bangladeshi cuisine, declined to comment last night.