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Swiss police stop van packed with 14 suspected Syrians

Swiss border police
The suspect van refused to stop at a police check. © Keystone / Olivier Maire

Police stopped a van packed with 14 people in the central Swiss canton of Uri on Friday.

The van, which had already evaded police checks in northern Italy, had previously been pursued by several police cars.

The police suspect that all of the people are Syrian nationals. They are in police custody.

The Uri cantonal police received information about the vehicle from the Federal Office of Customs and Border Security. The van had evaded inspection in northern Italy, the police said in a statement.

Uri police set up a checkpoint at the north portal of the Gotthardstrasse tunnel in Göschenen to stop the vehicle. The driver did not stop and continued driving at a reduced speed.

Uri cantonal police pursued the van with several vehicles before stopping the van and discovering its human cargo.

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