Twenty-one illegal immigrants held in Kosovo, three drivers arrested

PRISTINA, Serbia-Montenegro (AP) - Police said Wednesday they arrested 24 people in Kosovo, all but three of whom were illegal immigrants.

The immigrants included 13 Turks, four Indians and four Sri Lankans. They were detained on Tuesday in the eastern Kosovo village of Ugljare as they were being transported in three taxis to the border with Serbia, said police spokesman Naser Ibrahimi.

The three taxi drivers were also detained, Ibrahimi said.

Police suspect the group was trying to illegally cross into Serbia with their final destination being Western Europe, he added. Detained illegal immigrants are usually returned to their countries of origin from Kosovo.

Kosovo has been administered by the United Nations since June 1999, following a NATO air war aimed at stopping a Serb crackdown on independence-seeking ethnic Albanians.