SKOPJE, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Police of North Macedonia uncovered 53 migrants in a cargo truck during a routine check on a road in south North Macedonia, the Interior Ministry said in a press release on Thursday.
According to the press release, the police stopped the cargo vehicle driven by a man identified as F.S. near the village of Dorlombos close to Strumica town around 7:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday night and discovered that he was illegally transporting 53 migrants.
Among the migrants, 37 were from Afghanistan, 12 from Pakistan, two from India, one from Iraq and one from Egypt.
According to the police, the driver was immediately taken into custody while the migrants were transported to reception centers in Skopje and in Gevgelija.
North Macedonia is on the main route for migrants who want to illegally reach European Union countries. After the huge migrant waves in 2015 and 2016, the borders were closed, but the smuggling and illegal transport of migrants through the territory continues.
