Indian immigrants held in Russia on visa issues: Report

MOSCOW: Thirty Indian and Pakistani nationals have been detained near the capital at an alleged transit base for illegal immigrants heading for Europe via Russia and Ukraine, a news report has said.

"All the thirty people were arrested from a country house in Tarasovoka village near Moscow, rented by a Russian citizen of Pakistani origin," ITAR-TASS said, quoting Federal Migration Service.

It said the country house was being used as a transit base in the illegal immigration channel running from India and Pakistan to European Union.

Among the detained, only six - two Indians and four Pakistanis - had valid Russian visas, but they were not dully registered with the immigration authorities on arrival. Four of the detained South Asians, probably Indians, had no documents on them. Many of those detained had tickets to Ukraine.

According to the Federal Migration Service, a Russian national, presumed to be the local guide of the illegal immigrants, has also been detained.