Seven  musicians from the Philippines were each fined 1,000 yuan (US$ 132) Saturday for working in Shenzhen without valid employment permits.

Futian police were quoted by the Daily Sunshine as saying that the musicians were caught Friday when performing illegally in a restaurant serving Southeast Asian food in Futian District.

The report did not disclose the identities of the foreign musicians, or the name of the restaurant.

Police officers said the Filipinos had previously been each fined 800 yuan Sept. 6 after being caught performing in the same restaurant.

The restaurant owner was fined 10,000 yuan last month and ordered to stop hiring illegal workers.

The Filipinos, who did not pay the fines imposed on them last month, were caught Friday when Futian police conducted a random inspection of the restaurant, the newspaper said.

"They are likely to be on a list of foreigners who are not permitted to enter China," said the officers, adding that the police had submitted the details of the seven Filipinos to the municipal entry and exit administration.

More than 370 foreigners working and living in Shenzhen without permission were repatriated by police in the first half of the year, Shenzhen police said at a news conference in August.

The foreigners were mainly working as teachers in schools and chefs in restaurants.

(Shenzhen Daily October 8, 2007)