Moscow: In a case of illegal emigration, 30 Indians are undergoing trial in Russia for allegedly trying to cross Russia-Ukraine border en route to Western Europe.

The group was detained in southern Rostov-on-Don region by Russian and Ukrainian frontier guards in April while they were trying to sneak into Ukraine.

The 30-member group had reached Moscow by air from Delhi with 'perfectly legal' documents, but investigations revealed that Russian organisations, in the name of which they were invited, didn't had any clue about their "guests".

Each of them allegedly paid $ 2,000 to reach Moscow.

From Moscow they were taken by road to Rostov for crossing into Ukraine on way to West Europe, for which each of them was charged $ 500, 'Vremya Novostyei' daily reported.

Under the Russian laws, they may be sentenced to maximum five years in prison, however, the daily did not rule out that the Rostov court could fine Indian immigrants and issue orders for their deportation.

According a spokesman for the regional branch of Federal Security Service (FSB) the organisers of the illegal transit of migrants could not be immediately apprehended.

However, even if they are caught, in Russia there is no law to prosecute them for running illegal migration racket.

PTI