Nepal detains 20 Tibetans for illegal crossing

Police in Nepal say they have detained 20 Tibetans who trekked the treacherous Himalayan trail for more than two weeks from their mountain homes.

Police spokesman Binod Shrestha said the 15 men and five women were detained Monday after they crossed the border.

They are aged 18 to 21 years old and are being transported to the capital, Katmandu.

Tibetan refugees who are detained in Nepal are generally handed over to the United Nations' refugee agency. The UN helps them on their journey to the Indian town of Dharmsala where the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama lives.

Hundreds of Tibetans trek into Nepal every year to visit Dalai Lama. They walk route to avoid Chinese border guards.