“Hungarian police officers are taking part in joint border defence operations with host countries, with 15 police staff travelling to Serbia and 30 en route to Macedonia”, the Hungarian Police Headquarters’ communications service announced on the police.hu portal on Tuesday.

According to the statement, on Tuesday in Budapest Deputy Chief of Police for Law Enforcement Zsolt Halmosi saw off police officers travelling to reinforce the Macedonian-Greek and Serbian-Bulgarian borders.

Hungarian police will be performing patrolling duties to prevent and uncover attempts to illegally cross the border, in addition to assisting in the apprehension of people smugglers and illegal immigrants within the territory of Macedonia and Serbia. Police will not only be on duty at the border, but also in the interior of the two countries, the statement reads.

Both contingents are equipped with service vehicles, night vision equipment and hand-held thermal cameras, while the Macedonian team will also be supporting border protection activities using a mobile thermal camera.

Hungarian police offers on duty in Macedonia and Serbia will be performing their duties using their own service equipment and will be exercising their right to take police action under the supervision of the Macedonian and Serbian authorities, the statement concludes.

(MTI)