Immigration officers arrested three people at the former Levana bar which lost its licence nearly two years ago
Three people were arrested after immigration officers stormed a former Birmingham bar which was shut down after losing its licence in 2023.
The officers entered a construction site at the former Levana bar in Birmingham’s Arcadian early on Wednesday, March 26.
The three were arrested on suspicion of residing and working in the United Kingdom without relevant visas.
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The Home Office told BirminghamLive a civil penalty notice ‘for potential illegal working’, which could reach up to £180,000, was served at the site.
Levana had its licence revoked by Birmingham City Council in August 2023.
The decision to shut the bar was made after a 15-year-old girl was allowed entry to the venue on June 2, 2023.
The incident had been brought to police attention after the teenager alleged she was a victim of a ‘serious assault‘ later that evening.
West Midlands Police called for Levana’s licence to be revoked, claiming it had shown ‘widespread disregard’ for the use of an ID scanner on the door and had a history of failing to provide ID information.
Council planners sided with the force, claiming issues around under-age customers were ‘so serious they could not be tolerated’.
The council said at the time: “The evidence, and in particular the CCTV recordings, had shown a complete disregard for the law by the licence holder and the staff alike.
“The operation had been managed in a way that was not merely irresponsible, but also illegal.
“The findings had shown a lack of professional supervision and control by the licence-holder company and its director.
“In short, the licence-holder company had demonstrated on more than one occasion that it was incapable of upholding the licensing objectives even when assisted and supported by police. Revocation was therefore proportionate in the circumstances.”
A spokesperson for the Home Office confirmed to BirminghamLive that three people were arrested at the former bar last month]
It said: “Organised immigration crime is a multi-million pound industry.
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“It stretches from the trafficking routes thousands of miles away, through which people are brought to our country to the high streets across Britain where many of those people end up working illegally.
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“As part of our plan for change, this government is cracking down on that criminal industry at every level.
“This includes stepping up our visits to businesses, where illegal working is taking place and increasing our enforcement action both against illegal workers and the people who employ them.”
