Vienna, August 29 : Austrian police on Wednesday said they had dismantled a group that apparently smuggled some 250 Indians and Pakistanis from Slovakia to Italy via Austria.

Ten people, mostly asylum seekers, have been arrested and seven others charged, following a five-month long investigation in cooperation with Slovak authorities, the Vienna police said.

Two ring leaders, aged 31 and 26 and operating out of Austria were arrested. Two others running operations in Slovakia have been identified but are still at large. All four are Pakistanis, although one of those arrested now holds Austrian citizenship, the Austria Press Agency reported.

The group only handled the latest stage of the trip, from Slovakia to Italy, for which the illegal immigrants, many of whom had demanded asylum in Slovakia, paid some 1,200 euros.

Austrian drivers were hired and paid 550 euros per journey to smuggle the immigrants across the border in the boot of a car.

The entire trip from Asia to Europe is estimated to have cost between 4,000 and 5,000 euros.