(ANSA) - BELGRADE, AUG 18 - The police in Slovenia recorded 17,121 cases of illegal border crossings in the first seven months of the year, a 37% increase compared to the same period last year. Citizens of Bangladesh accounted for the largest number at 3,028, followed by citizens of Afghanistan (2,186), Egypt (1,903), and Sudan (1,794), the Slovenian news agency STA reported. The number of Sudanese citizens intercepted has increased dramatically, rising from 11 in the first seven months of last year to 1,794 this year. The number of cases involving Bangladeshi citizens more than doubled (from 1,310), while the number of irregular arrivals from Pakistan nearly doubled, reaching 1,395. The Novo Mesto Police Department, which oversees a large portion of the border with Croatia, handled nearly 75% of all illegal border crossings (12,810). (ANSA).