PHOENIX -- Maricopa County sheriff's deputies early Thursday launched an employer's sanctions raid at a south Phoenix paper company and arrested 44 workers suspected of using false or stolen IDs.

Deputies, SWAT teams, and K-9s converged on the Royal Paper Converting Company at 711 N. 17th Ave. at about 5:30 a.m. in what they said was the largest raid of its kind yet launched by MCSO.

• Read: Royal Paper Converting Co. Response (.pdf)

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office served a search warrant after a year-long investigation. The first raid at the facility occurred in March 2008 and netted four arrests.

Thursday's raid initially targeted 102 people, Sheriff Joe Arpaio said. Several employees attempted to flee but were found and detained by deputies, he said.

Of the 44 workers arrested, 35 were booked into jail on charges of ID theft. "The remaining employees will be processed and sent to Immigration and Customs Enforcement where they will be subject to deportation," Arpaio said.

Deputies seized employment records, payroll records, computers and other documents.

"The raid marked the 23rd investigation of local businesses knowingly hiring illegal immigrants that has been conducted by the sheriff's office since 2008," Arpaio said. "Of those investigations, nearly percent of the businesses involved have been located inside the city of Phoenix."