ONE of WA’s leading strawberry suppliers could face significant penalties after allegedly being caught with 36 illegal foreign workers at one of its Perth farms.

Australian Border Force officers swooped on the headquarters of Ti Produce in Bullsbrook on Tuesday and apprehended the men and women from multiple countries who it is alleged did not have a work visa, including some who had allegedly been living in Australia illegally for years.

The ABF says the number of illegal workers who were on the property was likely to have been much higher because several fled into surrounding bush when the raid began.

Ti Produce is run by businesswoman Lam Ti Muir and her partner Jamie Michael, who is the president of the strawberry industry’s peak body, Strawberries Australia Inc.

The pair, who were at the farm during the raid, were contacted yesterday but declined to comment.

Employing illegal workers carries penalties ranging from a fine of $9000 for each worker, or up to five years in prison.

The ABF said the raid had been months in the planning and involved more than 70 personnel from the State and Federal police and Fair Work Ombudsman’s office.

Camera Icon Australian Border Force round up workers at the farm. Credit: PerthNow, Mogens Johansen.

Extra ABF officers were flown in from other States to assist with the operation.

A convoy of vehicles rolled onto the property just after midday while many of the company’s 200-strong workforce were sitting down to lunch.

One British backpacker, who had a valid work visa, said he was detained for several hours as authorities began the mammoth task of verifying the identities of everyone on site and checking their work entitlements.

The man said he had been working in one of the packing sheds and was stunned when officers stormed in and told him not to move.

“One minute I was packing strawberries and the next thing there were all these cops around me and I was like s..,” the man said.

Those with valid visas were allowed to leave by late afternoon as authorities continued to work into the night processing the remainder, who face deportation.

According to the ABF, of the 36 who were detained, 28 held a valid tourist visa which did not give the right to work in WA.

The remaining eight had overstayed their visa and had no right to be in the country, it said.

ABF acting inspector of regional operations Linda Jose said the raid was part of a wider investigation into what she called “unscrupulous” labour hire intermediaries who supplied illegal workers to WA farmers.