Officials in St. Petersburg in Russia have reportedly held 27 Indian nationals suspected of attempting to illegally enter Finland.
The 47News service reported on the detentions on Thursday, citing information obtained from the Russian security and intelligence service FSB. The group is believed to have violated entry regulations.
According to the FSB, the group was found in the Vyborg area and was in possession of forged documents and maps of the border area between Finland and Russia saved on their phones.
At least one of the maps had a marker for the city of Svetogorsk or Enso, in the Vyborg district of the Leningrad Oblast in the Karelia region.
The group was reportedly held on Monday and was being detained in a St. Petersburg hostel serving as a temporary detention centre. Photos of the suspects provided by the FSB press service indicate that all of the detained persons are men.
Local courts heard the men’s cases on Tuesday or Wednesday. The rulings suggested that they are likely to be deported, according to 47News.