The UK Border Agency set up the dedicated team in Mostyn in October 2007 to crack down on illegal immigration and illegal working across North Wales.

By the end of March 2008, the team had arrested 54 people who were living or working illegally in the UK.

Covering the entire North Wales Police force area, the team carried out 44 visits to the homes or places of work of immigration offenders.

Successful operations were carried out in the last five months by the Mostyn team.

In March, the Evening Leader reported that the UK Border Agency and North Wales Police officers surrounded Amantola restaurant in Garden City, Deeside, and arrested four men for illegal working.

Yesterday officers visited a property in the Hightown area of Wrexham and arrested a 26-year-old failed asylum seeker from Afghanistan.

The man had not left the UK voluntarily after his claim for international protection was turned down.

He is in immigration detention and will be removed from the UK in the coming weeks.

The 12-strong team, which includes seconded officers from North Wales Police, is also currently pursuing five prosecutions against foreign nationals for offences of using forged or false identity documents.

Jane Farleigh, regional director for the UK Border Agency in Wales and the South West, said: "Our new team in North Wales has made a very positive start and their success shows that illegal working and other immigration offences are being tackled wherever we find them across Wales.

"We are determined to stamp out illegal immigration. There are very strict rules about who can live and work in the UK and it's becoming much harder to break them.

"Illegal working can be extremely harmful with the immigrants themselves often suffering abuse and law-abiding businesses being undercut by rule-breaking employers."

The setting up of the UK Border Agency's North Wales team comes at a time of massive reform to the UK's immigration system.

The government recently introduced an Australian-style points based system for managing migration, ensuring only those with the skills the UK needs are allowed to work.

On-the-spot fines of up to £10,000 per illegal employee for employers who don't make the correct right-to-work checks were brought in on February 29.

In April a single border force with police-like powers for frontline staff – the UK Border Agency – was introduced.

Employers unsure of the steps they need to take to avoid employing illegal workers can visit www.bia.home office.gov.uk/employing migrants or they can call the Border and Immigration Agency Employers Helpline on 0845 010 6677.

Anyone who suspects that illegal workers are being employed at a business can contact the UK Border Agency on 029 2092 4727.