Police nab 85 illegal immigrants in routine border check

The illegal immigrants, mostly from Iran and Turkey, were caught during routine checks at the country's far-eastern borders with Bosnia.

Four Croat men have been arrested on charges of trafficking illegal immigrants, while two other suspects from Bosnia remain at large.

Police said the men each collected at least dlrs 400 from the illegal immigrants. They face up to five years in prison.

The thick forests and marshes on the border between Croatia and Bosnia make it difficult for police and border patrol agents to detect illegal migrants on the move.

In the first six months of this year, Croatian customs officers detained more than 5,000 people for trying to cross the border illegally. Police say the illegal aliens use Croatia as a transit country in order to reach prosperous Western Europe.

(sda)