The Home Office Immigration Enforcement, alongside Wiltshire Police, arrested 16 Romanian nationals were arrested in a car park on Beanacre Road in Melksham.
Officers swooped to detain the group on Friday, September 26, following an operation to crack down on illegal working in the UK.
The group is suspected of being on their way to collect payment for illegally working on a solar farm in Scotland, in doing so breaching visitor visa conditions.
The 14 people arrested are still in detention and now face removal from the UK.
The remaining two individuals are under strict reporting conditions.
An investigation into the solar farm remains ongoing.
Head of West of England Immigration Enforcement, Murad Mohammed, said: “This latest operation is a clear signal that abuse of the immigration system will not be tolerated.
“My thanks to Wiltshire Police and my team for their tireless dedication in clamping down on this criminality and securing our borders.”
The Home Office says tackling illegal working in Wiltshire and the UK as a whole is a critical part of the government’s attempts to undermine the people smuggler business model.
Many who fall prey to people smugglers are sold the false promise of a life and ability to work in the UK, in exchange for thousands of pounds to make illegal journeys to the country.
Last week, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced plans to introduce digital ID cards in an attempt to make it harder to work illegally in the UK.
Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Alex Norris, believes this change will stop those without the right to work in the UK from finding jobs or earning money, acting as a deterrent against coming here illegally.
He said: “Illegal working plays into the hands of smugglers, undercuts local businesses and can lead to appalling exploitation.
“Whether it is in our cities or rural areas, we will root it out and ensure those breaking the rules face the consequences.
“Action is up 50 per cent nationwide since taking office, but we won’t stop there.
“As part of our Plan for Change, we will go further by introducing new digital ID cards and tightening our laws with our Borders Bill to clamp down on rogue employers.”
Illegal working arrests and operations have increased by 50 per cent under the current government, the Home Office said.
