The location of the illegal workers follows another operation last month in which officers found 13 workers in breach of immigration regulations in Robinvale.

A Department of Immigration and Citizenship spokesman confirmed the workers included nine Vietnamese and a Malaysian national were all located in Lockwood.

He said eight workers had overstayed their visitor visas and another two were in breach of visa conditions.

Warrants allowed officials to detain workers located at a house and in a caravan park in the Lockwood area before interviewing them in Bendigo.

They were then transferred to the Maribyrnong Detention Centre where they will be assessed for return to their home countries if they have no further claims to remain in Australia.

The government spokesman said further investigations to identify those who organised the visas would be conducted.

‘‘It’s an employer’s responsibility to only hire people with the right to work in Australia,’’ he said.

Employers convicted of breaching the legislation face stiff penalties including fines of up to $13,200 and two years imprisonment while companies face fines of up to $66 000 per illegal worker, he added.

Calls by The Advertiser to the processing plant’s management yesterday went unanswered.

People with information on visa overstayers or illegal workers should contact the Immigration Dob-In Line on 1800 009 623.