AP

N. Macedonian police find 28 migrants in van, arrest driver

Dec 13, 2021, 4:57 PM | Updated: Dec 14, 2021, 7:02 am

SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — Authorities in North Macedonia have detailed 28 mostly Cuban migrants found crammed into a van driven by a suspected member of a migrant smuggling gang, police said Tuesday.

It was the second time in three days that a group of Cubans was intercepted being driven through North Macedonia. In both cases police said the drivers, who were arrested, were Serb citizens, and the migrants had entered the country illegally through Greece.

Police said 25 of the migrants found late Monday were from Cuba, including five minors, and the other three were from India. The van was stopped after a brief chase when the driver ignored police signals to stop near the southern border town of Gevgelija.

The migrants were transferred to a main migrant shelter center in Gevgelija, pending deportation to Greece.

Late Friday, police discovered 41 Cuban and Indian migrants, including five children, in a routine check on North Macedonia’s main highway.

The small Balkan country was once on a major route for illegal migrants seeking to slip into wealthier countries in Europe. But with the COVID-19 pandemic and strict border controls over the past year, neighboring Albania is now a bigger destination for migrants trying to slip in from Greece, where they mostly arrive from Turkey.

___

Follow AP’s global migration coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/migration

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Image: A cargo ship is stuck under the part of the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after ...

Associated Press

Authorities identify 2 bodies recovered at site of Baltimore bridge collapse

A major bridge in Baltimore snapped and collapsed after a container ship rammed into it early Tuesday, and several vehicles fell into the river below.

22 hours ago

Photo: Mountaineer Jim Whittaker has died at 95....

Gene Johnson, The Associated Press

Lou Whittaker, among the most famous American mountaineers, has died at age 95

Lou Whittaker, a legendary American mountaineer who helped lead ascents of Mount Everest, K2 and Denali, has died at age 95.

22 hours ago

File photo: Former Sen. Joe Lieberman speaks in Washington on Jan. 18, 2024....

Associated Press

Former Sen. Joe Lieberman, Democrats’ VP pick in 2000, dead at 82

Former U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, who nearly won the vice presidency on the Democratic ticket with Al Gore in 2000, has died.

22 hours ago

islamic state attack...

Vanessa Gera, The Associated Press

What we know after the Islamic State group claims responsibility for Moscow massacre

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for an attack on a suburban Moscow concert hall that killed at least 133 people.

4 days ago

Moscow shooting...

The Associated Press

Russia: 60 dead, 145 injured in concert hall raid; Islamic State group claims responsibility

Assailants burst into a concert hall in Moscow on Friday and sprayed the crowd with gunfire, killing over 60 people, injuring more than 100.

6 days ago

Photo: Britain's Kate, Duchess of Cambridge visits 282 (East Ham) Squadron, RAF Air Cadets, Cornwel...

Associated Press

Kate Middleton announces she has cancer, is undergoing chemotherapy

Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, says she is undergoing chemotherapy to treat cancer. She has been out of view since Christmas.

6 days ago

N. Macedonian police find 28 migrants in van, arrest driver