7:00am Thursday 26th November 2009
A 47-year-old man and his girfriend have been arrested under suspicion of blackmailing illegal immigrants out of their hospital cleaning wages.
Police swooped on the pair, who live in New Addington, after a joint investigation with the UK Border Agency into cleaning contractor ISS Mediclean at Kingston Hospital.
target="_blank">Kingston Hospital.
Sources at the hospital said the arrests were over allegations staff working for the firm were told they would lose their jobs if they did not hand money over to a manager.
A 43-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of blackmail.
All three have been released on police bail until February.
The UKBA is also investigating claims some staff from the firm have been working illegally after entering the country from Ghana.
Another two men have been charged with fraud, ID card and immigration offences at the hospital following police raids on their homes on November 19.
An ISS spokesman said it was co-operating fully with the enquiry and “has robust procedures for the correct engagement of employees, and as an organisation regularly conducts checks of all of our operatives across the country.
He said: “These relate to the staffs’ right to work in the UK, as well as identifying any national insurance irregularities.
“These checks are carried out regularly. An internal audit at Kingston Hospital has been carried out within the past month.
“Immediate steps have been taken to ensure that the correct levels of management and staff remain in place and ISS is keen to assure everyone that this action will have no effect to the high standards of service that are expected throughout the hospital.”
Police said further enquires were expected to take several weeks to complete.
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