CHAMPLAIN,N.Y.: A group of 36 Indian and Pakistani nationals were arrested Wednesday by U.S. customs officers after sneaking across the border from Canada, immigration officials say.

The illegal aliens, all adults, were found in the early morning by U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Department officers at the ‘Champlain border crossing, south of Montreal.

They were hiding in the back of a tractor trailer truck and had no form of documentation, Ben Ferro, district director of the department said.

They will be charged with attempting to illegally enter the U.S. and could be deported, Ferro said.

He said the driver of the truck, who identified only as Michael Cyr of Canada, will also be charged.

This is the third group of illegal aliens to be arrested in northern New York State by customs officials in the last month, he said.

“This is becoming a major concern of ours,” Ferro said, referring to the rash of illegal border crossings.

“We think we have a potentially huge security problem.”

Article extracted from this publication >> October 28, 1988