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Minsk nabs group of Egyptians travelling to EU states “with extremist aims”

According to information of Minsk police, while searching the detainees, “operatives grew suspicious that these citizens pursue friendly aims in their trip”

MINSK, May 7 (Itar-Tass) — Police in the Belarussian capital detained a group of Egyptian citizens, travelling to European Union countries “with extremist aims”, reported on Monday the police department of the Minsk city government.

“As a result of holding search measures, Minsk law enforcers detained five Egyptian citizens who illegally arrived in our country so as to go later to European Union countries. During investigations, it turned out that the detainees had participated in combat operations in Egypt and are heading for EU countries with extremist aims,” noted the police department.

According to information of Minsk police, while searching the detainees, “operatives grew suspicious that these citizens pursue friendly aims in their trip”. “It has become clear during an interrogation that members of the group had participated in combat operations in Egypt, have experience of handling firearms and explosives.

“The detainees explained that they arrived in our country illegally for further travel to European Union countries. It turned out from their explanations that their main aim was participation in the underground resistance movement, aimed at confrontation with the public and political system in European states,” the police department noted.

According to data of Minsk police, citizens from Arab countries make up a considerable part of immigrants to Belarus. They go later to European Union countries in search of good earnings. “However, some illegal immigrants go to the West with other clearly unfriendly aims,” the police department emphasized.