Officers from the police and UK Border Agency raided 27 homes in Scotland yesterday in search of suspects using fake passports in the biggest operation of its kind.

HERALD VIDEO SPECIAL: watch the operation here...

Officers from the police and UK Border Agency raided 27 homes in Scotland yesterday in search of suspects using fake passports in the biggest operation of its kind.

Operation Hypera targeted 28 individuals suspected of using false or doctored identification to gain employment. Some of them had attempted to work in care homes in Edinburgh.

More than 50 officers were involved in the early-morning initiative led by UKBA and supported by Lothian and Borders Police. Most of the suspects are thought to be from a range of African countries, including Kenya and South Africa. Yesterday's operation under the Identity Card Act 2006 was unprecedented in scope.

Officers said it forms part of a series of intelligence-led work to clampdown on the issue which lines the pockets of those involved in serious and organised crime and leads to increased exploitation of workers paying for and using the passports.

Inspector Paul Menzies, the leading Scottish officer seconded to UKBA, said: "This is a significant problem in Scotland and something we are determined to address under the Act."

Five people were arrested in total including two women and two men who were charged under the 2006 Act. One woman was detained for immigration reasons.

UKBA and the police will continue to pursue those not apprehended yesterday. Some will be issued with arrest warrants.

This year there have already been some 70 successful prosecutions in Scotland but senior officers said this is just the "tip of the iceberg", of what is a multimillion-pound industry run by organised criminals across Europe.

Officials said fake passports were a significant problem in Scotland.