Human trafficker arrested in Tyrol
An Indian man has been put in custody for transporting 19 Afghans in his van.The human trafficking suspect was arrested near Radfeld in Tyrols Kufstein district last night (Thurs), immigration authorities announced today.Police found 19 refugees from Afghanistan squeezed in the mans Ford Transit van during a traffic check around 11.30pm. The group included one pregnant woman and two young children.The driver was arrested, while the future of his passengers is uncertain. The local Red Cross is currently looking after them.Officials have not yet made clear whether the refugees had applied for political asylum in Austria and where the group hoped to go.Just hours earlier yesterday, Salzburg police stopped an man from Afghanistan who was strolling along the A10 Tauern motorways busy Tauern tunnel.The man, who had no ID with him, was transferred to an asylum seekers centre in Traiskirchen, Lower Austria. He has applied for asylum and immigration officials must now decide whether he will be allowed to stay in the country.Around 7,200 people applied for asylum in Austria between January and August, down by 29 per cent year on year. Authorities rejected 78.3 per cent of applications they dealt with in 2009.