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Of the 28 Asian illegals captured in southern Estonia by Monday morning seven have been identified as citizens of Vietnam.
At least 7 illegals seized in South Estonia are from Vietnam
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A spokesperson for the South prefecture of the Police and Border Guard Board told BNSthat by Monday morning police and border guard officers had intercepted 28 Asian illegals who had crossed the border at the weekend.
All the illegals who came to Estonia from Russia were apprehended in the villages of Miikse, Viitka and Saarde of Voru County. They were taken to border patrol stations and the Voru house of detention for an investigation of the circumstances.
Of the apprehended individuals 27 are men of whom three are less than 18 years old.
Seven illegals carried Vietnamese passports, the nationality of others is being established, the spokeswoman said.
The chief of the South prefecture, Tarmo Kohv, said that as the section of the European Union's external border controlled by Estonia has come under increased pressure the border agency has stepped up cooperation with the Russian border guard and local residents. "The capture of 28 illegals in the Vorumaa region undoubtedly testifies to the efficient cooperation between border guards and the local community," he observed.
Law enforcers have not stopped searching for illegals but there are no recent reports from local residents about the movement of suspicious persons, the spokeswoman said. "Yesterday citizens assiduously assisted law enforcers, but for now no fresh information has come in," she added.
On Sunday morning border guards spotted tracks indicative of illegal crossing of the border in Voru County after which an operation to intercept the illegals was mounted. During the day several groups were captured the largest of which consisted of 12 individuals. As the operation continued two more illegals had been apprehended by Monday morning.
Tips from local residents led to the detention of six illegals.
Last year 56 illegal border crossers were intercepted at Estonia's southern border.