Nine Migrants Saved in a Wooden Ark

Croatian police rescued nine migrants -- three men, two women and four minors -- who were trapped in a wooden crate in a truck run by a smuggler from Ukraine.

Police found the ark during a raid on Zagreb-Lipovac highway.

The Ark was closed, and the voices were being heard from it. Its opening, it enabled the find and probably saved the lives of nine foreign citizens”, the Croatian Interior Ministry said.

Migrants are offered immediate medical assistance.

Further investigations revealed that all foreign citizens illegally crossed the Croatian state border.

Seven members of the Iranian family have expressed their intention to apply for international protection, while two Iraqi citizens have rejected this opportunity, and are being held at the Presation Centre until the completion of the procedure.

The truck driver, a 21-year-old Ukrainian citizen, was arrested on suspicion that he had committed criminal entry, movement and illegal residence in the Republic of Croatia.

The crime also links 24-year-old and 25-year-old Polish citizens, who were detained at the Makelj border crossing.

Thousands of migrants from the Middle East and South Asia travel across the Balkans, with the aim of reaching Western Europe.

From Croatia, they head towards Slovenia, Austria and other rich countries of the European Union.

Migrants mostly rely on smugglers for illegal crossing of borders.