Yu Jian Chen, 39, and his wife Yunqin He, 38, recruited the workers, who were from China and Malaysia, at The Jade Garden in the village of Bonar Bridge.

Immigration Enforcement officials discovered the illegal workers during a raid of the takeaway last year.

Dave Magrath, director of investigation and enforcement services at the Insolvency Service, said: “Yu Jian Chen and Yunqin He failed to comply with their statutory obligations by employing three people who did not have the right to work at their takeaway. 

“Employers hiring illegal workers not only defraud the public purse but potentially put some of the most vulnerable people in society at risk of exploitation. 

“We are pleased to be supporting the Home Office with their activities by taking firm action against rogue company directors.”

Chen and He were directors of The Jade Garden, trading under the company name JG Sutherland Limited, when Immigration Enforcement officials visited the premises in January 2023, finding two Chinese men and a Malaysian woman with no right to work there. 

Immigration Enforcement fined The Jade Garden £45,000 for the immigration breach, which remains unpaid. 

Brian Gillespie, the Home Office’s Immigration Compliance Enforcement lead for Scotland, said: “Illegal working undercuts honest employers, places vulnerable individuals at risk of exploitation and disadvantages legitimate job seekers.  

“It also impacts public finances as taxes are not paid by these businesses and workers, which is why tracking down unscrupulous employers is so important.  

“We’re pleased to secure these bans following an effective and close working relationship between the Home Office and the Insolvency Service.”

The Secretary of State for Business and Trade accepted disqualification undertakings from Chen and He, and their five-year bans began on Thursday 19 September. 

The disqualifications prevent the pair from becoming involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company, without the permission of the court. 

He resigned as a director of the company five days after the Immigration Enforcement raid.