Bulgaria detains yacht with 32 illegal immigrants

Bulgaria has detained a motor yacht with 32 illegal immigrants and a crew member on board, the country's interior ministry said Monday.

After radar detection by the integrated maritime border surveillance system Sunday afternoon, the vessel was stopped by police ships near the main beach on the Bulgarian Black Sea resort of Sozopol, Xinhua quoted the ministry as saying in a press release.

The board control groups found 32 illegal immigrants on board with no identity papers. Thirty-one of them said they are Afghans, and one Iranian, while the captain of the boat showed a copy of a Romanian identity card, the ministry said.

The passengers said they boarded the boat early Sunday morning near Istanbul, and had to be transported to Romania for 2,500 euro to 6,000 euro (some $3,400 U.S. to $ 8,181) per person.