The owner of a car wash in Ammanford has been fined £40,000 for employing two illegal workers.

Aurel Matmuja, who owns Aurels Car Wash on Pen Y Banc Road, was issued a civil penalty on December 11, 2023, for illegally hiring one Romanian and one Portuguese national.

The two individuals did not have the right to work in the UK and the penalty remains unpaid by Aurel.

Mr Matmuja has not appealed against the civic penalty.

A spokesperson for the Home Office said: "A civil penalty of £40,000 was issued to Aurel Matmuja for the employment of two individuals without the right to work in the UK.

"Officials encountered one Romanian and one Portuguese national.

"The employer has not objected or appealed against the civil penalty and the penalty remains unpaid.

"The outstanding debt has now been passed to our specialist debt recovery contractors for enforcement action."

This comes after the government’s home office updated a list of illegal working civil penalties in Wales and South West of England on August 31.

Elsewhere in Wales, a car wash owner in Swansea was fined for employing illegal workers – Amir Hussain received a penalty of £30,000 for his business S.A. Sol Hand Car Wash.

Another car wash in Powys owned by Machynlleth Car Wash Ltd received a fine of £20,000 while Istanbul Barber owned by Ttika Limited in Bridgend was also given a penalty for £20,000.

Meanwhile, in Cardiff, EDA UK General Electricity Limited, Leya’s Healthcare Services (PVT) Ltd, Prime Options Partners Limited were all fined £15,000.

The full list of businesses in these regions with fines can be seen here.

According to the Home Office, someone can be sent to jail for five years and forced to pay an unlimited fine if found guilty of employing a person who they knew did not have the right to work in the UK.

Employers will be penalised for hiring illegal workers if those employed did not have permission to enter the UK, their leave had expired, they were not allowed to do certain types of work, and their papers were incorrect or false.

Penalties can also be issued if the correct checks are not carried out on workers and a person is employed without the right to work.

With incorrect checks, an employer may receive a referral notice to inform that your case is being considered and that you could pay a civil penalty of up to £60,000 per illegal worker.