Polish border guards foil 85 irregular migrants' attempt to enter from Belarus

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) – Polish authorities foiled 85 irregular migrants' attempts to enter the country illegally from Belarus and detained four people on charges of human trafficking, local media reported on Monday.

Two "couriers" were arrested on Sunday near the Polish border in the village of Bialowieza for transporting irregular migrants, Radio Poland reported, citing the Border Guard.

One of the couriers was a Ukrainian who transported two Syrians, while the other was a Belarussian who transported two Syrians, two Afghans, and an Algerian national, it added.

Separately, border officials in the northeastern village of Dubicze Cerkiewne arrested a Moldovan and an Azerbaijani national for illegally entering Poland.

"So far this year, Border Guard officials have arrested 510 people for organizing and enabling illegal crossing of the border," the Border Guard said.

Meanwhile, the total number of attempts to enter Poland illegally from Belarus has risen to 19,300 since the beginning of the year, with 1,800 attempts occurring this month.

According to the PAP news agency, Poland last year built a 186-kilometer-long, 5.5-meter-high steel wall, as well as a system of surveillance cameras and motion sensors along the border to prevent illegal migration from Belarus.​​​​​​​