Mystery ship heading
to Canada WebPosted Aug 10 1999
5:52 PM PDT
VANCOUVER - It's still a "mystery
ship." But immigration officers now believe a boat spotted off
the Queen Charlotte Islands in B.C. is heading for Canadian
waters.
Immigration officials say the ship is similar to the one
that arrived off of Vancouver Island last month. Immigration
official George Varnay says it has no markings, no flag and no
name. But Varnay says there is one difference
"The ship appears to be in pretty good condition," says
Varnay. "It appears from the photographs that it is in much
better condition than the previous one." Varnay says the
surveillance aircraft spotted people on deck for the first
time late this afternoon. That's just hours after the vessel
stopped going in circles and began steaming westward toward
Canadian waters.
RCMP and immigration officers, doctors and interpreters are
on their way to the Queen Charlotte Islands.
Varnay isn't certain what will happen next. He says that
once the boat reaches Canadian territorial waters, it may face
a warning. But it may also be escorted to shore - and if there
is a human cargo on board, the drama of last month will be
played out all over again.
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