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Kathryn King reports for CBC Radio


CBC TELEVISION
COVERAGE:
CLIP: July 14: Kim Emerson reports on the confirmation of the third ship

Officials identify enforcers among migrants in B.C.
WebPosted Sun Aug 15 12:37:43 1999

VICTORIA, B.C. - Eighteen of the Chinese migrants staying at CFB Esquimalt in British Columbia have been separated from the rest on suspicion that they have links to organized crime.

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Canadian Immigration officials believe the 18 were aboard the ship, which carried a total of 131 people, as enforcers who kept the other travellers in line, collected money and made contacts with smugglers.

Immigration officials are interviewing the migrants at the forces base. On Saturday they spoke with about 30 people. Many of the migrants are expected to file for refugee status, as did those from an earlier group that arrived in B.C. July 20.

Refugee hearings for that group -- 123 men and women -- are expected to begin next month.

The RCMP describes the smuggling of would-be immigrants as a global activity run by organized crime. The growing problem involves big money, with passengers paying as much as $40,000 each for the journey out of their country.

In the last month, two ships carrying Chinese migrants arrived off B.C.'s coast. A third headed towards North America was intercepted by the Japanese and diverted to the Marianna Islands off Guam.


Government ships continue to patrol the West Coast waters

Officials confirmed the existence of the third boat Saturday. They had earlier denied the reports, over fears of interfering with an ongoing international investigation.

"Consistent with what the U.S. coast guard and the military have confirmed, a vessel was checked by the Japanese navy earlier this month," said RCMP Const. Tracey Rook.

"It has had contact with the U.S. coast guard and our most recent information is that this vessel has now been diverted and is heading to the Mariana Islands off the coast of Guam," Rook said.

Canada's Department of National Defence says it has tried to monitor the West Coast more closely since smugglers' ships have been spotted in the past month. But the area is vast, and the job difficult.


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