A pursuit that began in Slovakia due to speeding finally led to the arrest of the driver in South Moravia, and the discovery of eight Iraqi nationals in the car. Photo:
Brno, Jan 15 (BD) – On Sunday morning police in South Moravia were contacted by their counterparts in Slovakia, to alert them that a car they were pursuing was crossing the border into the Czech Republic. The pursuit had begun due to the car’s excessive speed and failure to stop at a checkpoint, and continued as the BMW approached the border on the D2 motorway, in the direction of Brno. South Moravian Police managed to stop the car using a barrier that had been erected for that purpose.
Police spokesman Petr Zámečník described what happened next: “Immediately after the car was stopped, it became clear that the high speed was not the only reason for the pursuit. In addition to the driver, another eight Iraqi nationals, seven men and one woman, were found in the car. The driver was arrested.” The Iraqi nationals in the car, none of whom were legally entitled to be in the Czech Republic, were all taken to a police station pending a decision on their future. Zámečník stressed that no one was injured or otherwise harmed during the pursuit.
The following day, police spokesman Pavel Šváb announced that a 42-year-old man was in police custody on suspicion of organising and facilitating illegal crossing of the state border. The eight foreign nationals are also still in detention, with proceedings underway to relocate them to Romania, where their asylum claim was originally lodged.
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