Two local Chinese restaurants

have been closed after federal authorities executed search warrants earlier

this week in an investigation into the smuggling and harboring of illegal

immigrants to use as restaurant employees.

The China Cafe, which has locations

in Peachtree City and Fayetteville, has reportedly employed the illegal

immigrants, who sometimes worked 12 hours a day, six days a week, according

to an affidavit filed by an agent of the federal Immigration and Naturalization

Service.

An intensive undercover operation

which included one agent posing as a restaurant owner needing employees

revealed that several "employment agencies" in the Chamblee

area helped route illegal immigrants to restaurants across the Southeast,

according to the affidavit.

Two people have been arrested

and indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of smuggling illegal immigrants

Chuan Li "Jenny" Wu, 49, and Zr Chao "Jimmy" Zhu,

38, both of Jonesboro. The indictment claims they harbored illegal aliens

and encouraged them to stay in the country to work at restaurants.

A total of 105 people have

been detained by the INS relating to this investigation, according to

INS documents.

"The INS and our office

are working together to take federal prosecutions beyond the smuggled

illegal aliens and into the system that brings them into this country

and exploits them," said U.S. Attorney Richard H. Deane Jr. "We

will continue to aggressively prosecute smugglers who are responsible

for these actions in the Northern District in Georgia."

According to the affidavit,

the INS found that the employment agencies will charge a "finder's

fee" to prospective employees and then send them to various restaurants

in several states via Greyhound bus. One illegal immigrant had paid $1,200

to be smuggled into the United States, where he entered in Houston, Tex.

and took a Greyhound bus to Atlanta to visit one of the employment agencies,

the affidavit stated.

The agencies did not ask for

documentation to establish the employee's identity and employment eligibility,

according to the affidavit.

Federal agents have frozen

several bank accounts and conducted 24 search warrants related to this

case. Seven vehicles and four residences also have been seized by federal

authorities.

The investigation originated

from a case in 1997 when a Mexican citizen was arrested in Mobile, Ala.

issued by two different employment agencies in the Chamblee area. A criminal

complaint has also been filed in U.S. District Court against Shih Kai

"Frank" Feng and Mei Lin "Cindy" Feng for inducing

illegal aliens to live in the United States.

The case is being investigated

Administration. Assistant U.S. attorneys Charysse L. Alexander and Randy

Chartash are prosecuting the case.