Three face deportation after Bootle immigration swoop



THREE Asian men face being kicked out of the country after they were arrested in a dramatic swoop on Easter Sunday.

The men were arrested alongside two others when armed officers ordered the driver of a blue Suzuki-type vehicle to pull over on Litherland Road, Bootle.
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The five occupants of the car, all Asian men, got out carrying Primark bags and were handcuffed. They were quizzed at the scene, before being taken into custody.

A Merseyside Police spokesman today said three of the men had now been found to be illegal immigrants.

The men had now been served papers from the UK Borders Agency and will all now face formal proceedings to be thrown out the UK.

The spokesman said the other two men had been released without charge.

Following the 11am raid, a large area including Merton Road, Litherland Road and Stanley Road was cordoned off and residents were told to stay indoors for over four hours.

Sniffer dogs attended the scene and a thorough search of the inside and underneath of the vehicle, using mirrors and metal detectors, was carried out.

A flat, situated above a cafe just yards from where the car was pulled over, was also searched by forensic experts.

Following the arrests, a spokesman said the incident was not linked to the counter-terrorist raids across the North-West

THE ECHO