VIENNA: Police on Sunday were questioning five people from Egypt and Slovakia arrested overnight for allegedly trying to smuggle 17 refugees into Austria, authorities said.
The suspects, three Egyptians and two Slovaks, were detained in separate operations late Saturday and early Sunday, according to police in the province of Upper Austria.
Officials said the Slovaks were suspected of trying to sneak in immigrants from Moldova, and the Egyptians were allegedly involved in trying to bring Turkish Kurds into Austria.
Investigators say Austria – which borders eastern European countries including Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Slovenia – lies on a major human trafficking route used by smugglers, who frequently charge large sums to bring illegal immigrants into Western Europe. Agencies
