Suspected human smugglers
remain off B.C. WebPosted Wed Aug 11
06:03:20 1999
SANDSPIT, B.C. - A mystery ship off
the West Coast is believed to be carrying another load of migrants
hoping to bypass immigration rules.
Tuesday, a navy ship with Immigration Canada officials aboard,
was dispatched to intercept the ship, which is displaying no
identification.
Officials didn't expect to intercept the ship, off the Queen
Charlotte Islands, until Wednesday morning.
Authorities planned to warn the ship's captain about the
consequences of entering Canadian jurisdiction illegally, and escort
the ship to shore.
Those aboard the mystery ship know they're being watched. When it
was spotted, the ship started travelling in circles instead of
proceeding on its route toward B.C., said immigration spokesman
George Varnai.
Three weeks ago, a similar vessel arrived in B.C. It was
smuggling 123 Chinese nationals. After entering Canada illegally,
they claimed refugee status.
National Defence says after the discovery of the first ship, it
changed its surveillance of the West Coast. The new watch resulted
in the discovery of the second ship on Monday.
|