KOHAT, Oct 16: Police and intelligence agencies arrested more than 38 Afghan Uzbeks on Thursday for illegally entering Pakistan.

NWFP Inspector General of Police Malik Naveed told Dawn that they had crossed over into Pakistan via Torkhum border and were on their way to Quetta for some construction work.

“This appears strange and suspicious so they are going to be interrogated by a joint interrogation team and we will try to find out what they were here for,” he said.

He said only one of the 38 suspects, an old man, had a refugee card while the remaining 37 had neither any travel documents nor any money with them.

The group travelling in batches were separately stopped by the police and the military guards at a checkpost in Kohat and detained.

Further investigations were underway, a police official said.

Meanwhile, police have also seized two suicide jackets on the Indus Highway and defused the explosives.