BiH border police foil smuggling attempt involving 14 Afghans

SARAJEVO, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) — The border police of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) said on Wednesday they had thwarted a smuggling attempt that involved 14 Afghan nationals in two separate operations.
The police on Tuesday stopped two passenger vehicles with BiH plates in the eastern border city of Bijeljina, and found 10 foreign nationals inside. Later, four more foreign nationals were discovered in another vehicle during a routine check.
None of these individuals had identification documents and all claimed to be from Afghanistan. The vehicles were driven by BiH citizens, who are now considered suspects in a human smuggling case.
The Prosecutor’s Office of BiH and the Court of BiH have authorized searches, evidence seizures, and the questioning of the drivers. The Afghan nationals have been transferred to the Service for Foreigners’ Affairs.
According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, irregular arrivals in BiH increased by 107 percent in July. ■