ARLEN REDEKOP/CP

ROOM ON DECK: A group of Asians crowd the bow of a ship near Tahsis, B.C., yesterday.

Ship discovered off the B.C. coast trying to bring in Asians, police say

GOLD RIVER, B.C. - Ninety Asians were discovered crammed into the hold of a cargo vessel yesterday in what authorities described as a human smuggling operation.

The 55-metre vessel was stopped by coast guard officials near Tahsis on the west coast of Vancouver Island about 300 kilometres northwest of Victoria.

``Nothing of this magnitude has happened before on the West Coast in terms of smuggling,'' said George Varnai, regional manager with Citizenship and Immigration.

Jim Redmond, one of Varnai's colleagues, said the situation is typical of a human smuggling operation.

Redmond said if that's true, ``this is not a humanitarian movement, this is almost a slavery movement.

``It's hard on the people who are smuggled. It's organized crime at its worst.''

There are 70 men and 20 women on board. There are no children.

Varnai said it's unclear where the vessel originated but it likely came from Asia.

Officials also don't know exactly where the passengers come from. Interpreters who speak several Asian languages were sent to the scene.

Authorities are also worried about the welfare of the people aboard the boat.

``What we were told by the coast guard early this morning is that the ship appears to have been on a long voyage and the people are certainly tired, but the initial feeling was that there was no medical emergency on board,'' Varnai said.

At least two people aboard the vessel attempted to make it to shore in a makeshift raft.

They were detained by a group of off-duty police officers from Washington state who were on a fishing trip, said RCMP Corporal Grant Learned.

The passengers were turned over to RCMP and arrested, but Learned had no further details about where they were taken.

Authorities from several agencies - the coast guard, RCMP, Health Canada, Citizenship and National Defence - were on the scene.

Learned said health officials are considering whether to quarantine some of the passengers.

About 20 people appear to need medical attention, but Learned could provide no details.

``Among our concerns is the potential for on-board diseas es,'' he said.

Learned said the RCMP is treating the matter as a criminal investigation.

``Our investigation has already started.''

The ship, which was anchored about a half-kilometre off shore, was spotted early yesterday by a Department of Fisheries and Oceans patrol plane.

``It met a certain profile,'' Varnai said. ``The vessel had no markings, no flag, no name and no normally available identification.''

Redmond said organized crime is certainly involved in the smuggling operation and there are likely criminals included among the people aboard the ship.

``We don't know what kind of criminal element is on board but we do know it's not necessarily good for the country because if it was, they would apply through the legal channels.''

The vessel was to be escorted to Gold River and the passengers were to be taken into custody and transported to a military base, possibly at CFB Comox, in the central part of Vancouver Island, or CFB Esquimalt near Victoria.

If passengers don't have the proper documentation, an immigration inquiry will be held, leading to possible deportation.

Air Nootka pilot Eric Scott, 27, flew over the vessel several times and described the ship as ``unmarked and pretty ugly.

``The first time I flew over there was still smoke coming out of the stack, but it was anchored. There is not one marking on the boat. It's pretty decrepit-looking,'' he said.

The incident is one of the largest operations involving illegal immigrants since 174 East Indian boat people landed on a Nova Scotia beach in 1987.

A year earlier, 155 Tamils were discovered cast adrift off the Newfoundland coast.