TIRANA, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Albanian police have detained 18 Afghans who had illegally crossed into Albania from Greece on their way to Western Europe, Albanian Daily News reported Monday.
Police stopped the Afghans in a minivan on the border. In addition to the 18 stowaways, police also arrested five Albanians and one Afghan who arranged the illegal crossing.
The 18 illegal migrants were taken to a refugee center and will most likely be expelled to Greece after the case is processed.
The smugglers face criminal charges and may end up in prison for up to 15 years.
Europe is facing a major refugee influx from Afghanistan and Syria, with hundreds of thousands refugees trying to enter wealthy Western Europe via Greece, Italy, Turkey and other countries.
