"Mand was fully aware of the illegal immigration status"
Jagraj Singh Mand, aged 43, of Dudley Port, West Midlands, was jailed for five years after he supplied dozens of illegal migrants to carry out construction work.
Birmingham Crown Court heard the construction company boss hired 38 illegal migrants to work on the unfinished Midlands Metropolitan Hospital.
Following an investigation by the Home Office in 2016, Mand admitted to his crime.
Home Office Immigration Enforcement Criminal and Financial Investigation officers carried out an intelligence-led visit at the Smethwick site to check for illegal workers.
Officers found three Indian nationals working on-site who had no right to work in the UK.
The three migrants were arrested as well as Mand, who was present during the visit. He was arrested on suspicion of assisting unlawful immigration.
Investigators discovered that Mand employed 38 illegal workers, all Indian nationals, to the Smethwick construction site between April and October 2016.
The 35 others were identified through further checks.
Since his arrest, his Bloxwich-based business, Magnet Site Services has been dissolved.
Following the collapse of developers Carillion, work on the 669-bed hospital came to a halt in January 2018.
The hospital will be completed in 2022. It will be a centre and workplace for half the trust’s 6,000 employees and its A&E will treat 170,000 patients a year.
Following his arrest, Mand’s home was searched and two ledgers were seized. They revealed that he was taking a commission from the gross pay of each worker.
The commission was not declared to HM Revenue & Customs.
Mand’s most recent ledger, which started in October 2016, contained only the details of the workers who were legally present with a right to work, excluding those who were not.
According to officers, this record started shortly before the visit from Immigration Enforcement.
Andy Radcliffe, Immigration Enforcement officer, said: “Mand was fully aware of the illegal immigration status of a considerable portion of his employees.
“Once he suspected that authorities were closing in, he went to some lengths to fabricate ledgers and cover-up this illicit side of his operation.
“Employing illegal workers goes hand in hand with exploitation.
“And the criminals in charge are making money off the backs of vulnerable individuals.”
“That is why we are determined to clamp down on this type of offence and will not hesitate to act where there is evidence of criminality.”
Jagraj Singh Mand was sentenced to five years in prison.
Birmingham Mail reported that he was also banned from acting as a company director for four years.
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