Afghan illegal migrants detained in Poland

(WARSAW) - Eleven illegal migrants from Afghanistan hiding in the back of a lorry in a shipment of mandarines from Greece have been detained in Poland, a spokeswoman for the Polish border guard said Monday.

Ranging in age from 12 to 24, the Afghans claim they paid a Greek smuggler up to 1,300 euros ($1,735) for passage to France and Sweden, spokeswoman Renata Sulima told AFP.

The migrants, who had spent four days in a refrigerated lorry compartment with a maximum temperature of six degrees Celsius (43 Fahrenheit) were in poor health, with some suffering from bronchitis, Sulima added.

All were receiving medical care while in detention, she said.

The Polish driver of the lorry registered in Poland claims to have been unaware of the stow-away Afghans, but admitted he heard voices after arriving in Poland, according to the spokeswoman.