Croatian police detain 9 people suspected of smuggling migrants over the Danube from Serbia

ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Croatian police have detained nine people suspected of smuggling migrants into the European Union country from neighboring Serbia. A statement says the suspects joined forces with unidentified persons in Serbia to organize illegal entry over the Danube River for foreign nationals and financial gain. All the detained suspects are Croatian citizens. The Danube separates Croatia in the east from Serbia. Both countries lie on the so-called Balkan land route used by migrants trying to reach Western Europe. Thousands of people from the Middle East, Africa or Asia usually reach Greece or Bulgaria from Turkey, before heading toward North Macedonia, Serbia or Bosnia.