Police in Nepal say they arrested 20 Tibetan national teenagers for illegally entering the country on Sunday.

Authorities say the 15 boys and five girls were captured near a remote western Himalayan village after crossing into Nepal from China.

A police spokesman said the teens, all supporters of the Dalai Lama, arrived in the area after walking for 17 days.

They will be sent to Kathmandu Monday for action by immigration authorities.

They could be sent back to Tibet or escorted into India, where the Dalai Lama lives in exile.