MUP looking for organisers of migrant trafficking

BELGRADE - Members of the Serbian Ministry of Interior Affairs (MUP) are trying to establish the circumstances of the accident near Leskovac, southern Serbia, which inflicted light and serious injuries to 42 illegal migrants early on Tuesday, Deputy Head of the Border Police Administration Dragan Gligoric stated.

He underscored that MUP is intensively working on identification of individuals who organised transport for the 54 migrants.

Gligoric noted the video surveillance system on the border crossings delivered evidence that the vehicle with migrants did not cross the administrative line.

The individuals probably entered Serbia from the direction of Macedonia and Bulgaria at a spot between two crossing checkpoints, Gligoric said and added that licence plates from the vehicle were stolen.

A grave traffic accident occurred near Leskovac early on Monday, when a van packed with illegal migrants careened off the road and overturned on a highway.

The accident occurred on the Corridor X section between the Donje Krajince and Gornje Krajince villages near the southern Serbian city around 4.30 a.m. Due to the tremendous impact force, the vehicle was completely destroyed.

Though injured, the van driver fled the scene after the accident. A total of 42 injured passengers from the van carrying 54 people have been hospitalized, most of whom come from Bangladesh, Algeria, Laos, Kashmir, Syria, Nigeria and Burma. Most injured passengers were hospitalized in the Leskovac hospital, while six passengers were taken to Nis and four more were transported to Belgrade immediately.

Speaking about the new wave of migrations in the transit through Serbia, Gligoric underscored that MUP intensified the efforts in the...