Seven people have been arrested in Congleton as part of a police crackdown on organised immigration crime.

On Thursday, October 9, officers from the Eastern Area Investigation Team took part in Operation Machinize in partnership Immigration Officers and HMIC.

As part of the operation officers visited two car washes in Congleton leading to the arrest of three men, one aged 33 and two aged 39, on suspicion of modern slavery offences.

In addition, four other men were also arrested by immigration and a number of items were seized, including a car, several mobile phones and a quantity of cash.

Following the visits, the owners of the car washers are likely to face significant fines of up to £45,000 per illegal worker.

Speaking after the operation Detective Constable Dominic Rogers, of the Protecting Vulnerable People Unit, said: "We work hard to tackle criminals operating in our communities and Thursday's operation demonstrates just some of the work that we do day in, day out.

"While the vast majority of businesses in Congleton are operating legitimately, there are some who exploit the most vulnerable people in order to make financial gains.

"Those involved in such activities often have links to drug trafficking and distribution, organised immigration crime, modern slavery and human trafficking, which is why we are committed to doing all we can to identify those involved.

"I hope that the results from this operation will provide some reassurance to our communities and also act as a warning to those who are considering taking part in this type of activity."

The trio arrested on suspicion of modern slavery offences have since been released on bail.

Anyone with concerns about organised immigration crime can contact Cheshire Police via 101 or by visiting https://www.cheshire.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/soh/seen-or-heard/.