Border police say they have found a 12-year-old Syrian boy and two men hidden under a truck transporting apricots who tried to illegally enter Romania.

Police said in a statement the three Syrians were clinging underneath the truck near the fuel tank early Friday at the Calafat border crossing with Bulgaria.

Police said the Turkish driver was bringing apricots to Germany. The stowaways told police they were trying to reach Western Europe. They said they illegally entered Bulgaria from Turkey and the driver did not know he was transporting them.

Police also stopped two Afghan men Friday at the Giurgiu border post with Bulgaria who were trying to cross the border on foot. They did not have identity papers and told police they were headed to Western Europe.

The five were handed over to Bulgarian border police.