SUSPECTED illegal immigrants have been arrested in a raid on a home belonging to one of the city’s best-known restaurateurs.

Officials from the UK Border Agency searched a property in The Groves and the Jaipur Spice restaurant in York in their latest crackdown on migrants living and working in North Yorkshire without permission.

The group of seven taken away for questioning by the immigration body are believed to have been renting the house where they were found from Khaliqu Zaman, who owns the Haxby Road business as well as a string of other Indian restaurants in York.

But Mr Zaman – whose own office and paperwork was scoured during the operation – says he did not employ the immigrants and they were not connected with the curry house, which the Border Agency also searched for documents following the arrests.

A spokesman for the organisation said: “We can confirm that UK Border Agency officers assisted the police with an operation last Friday afternoon at an address in York.

“Officers arrested seven people on suspected immigration offences.”

It is not yet known what action, if any, will be taken against those arrested.

Mr Zaman, who also owns the Jaipur Spice in Easingwold, the Kings Ransom, in King Street, York, The Gate Of India, in Clifton Green, York and the Indian Ocean in Acomb, said: “They came to my restaurant at 6pm on Friday and told me they had arrested seven suspected illegal immigrants in a house belonging to me.

“I own several properties around York and had no idea that any illegal workers were staying there. They were not employees of mine – they were just staying in a house I had rented out.

“They had no connection to the restaurant – all my employees work here legally. The officers searched the whole building, including my offices – they went through everything.

“They were determined to find something, but didn’t. I co-operated fully with them, but I am quite angry and confused about this.”

Previous operations staged by immigration chiefs in York have seen raids carried out at The Gate Of India, Tandoori Nights in Bootham, York Jumbo Chinese Buffet in George Hudson Street, The Bay Of Bengal in Bishopthorpe Road and the Happy Valley Chinese restaurant in Goodramgate.

North Yorkshire Police said its York CID section had been made aware of Friday’s operation, but the issue was in the hands of the UK Border Agency.