Overview
- Metropolitan Police and Home Office Immigration Enforcement raided the Croydon Road caravan site in Bromley shortly after 4:30am Thursday following a tip-off.
- Officials arrested 18 people—nine women and nine men—of Brazilian, Polish and Czech nationality for overstaying and admitting to illegal working.
- An on-site investigation found some suspects had been “substituting” for legitimate delivery riders to complete orders without the right to work.
- Eight of those arrested are detained pending removal from the UK, while ten were released on immigration bail as inquiries continue.
- The Home Office links the operation to a broader crackdown with sharp rises in raids and arrests, and it is advancing laws to require gig‑economy employers to run right‑to‑work checks with penalties up to £60,000 per worker, director bans and possible prison terms.