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Monday, July 26, 1999Police find weapons among refugeesVANCOUVER (CP) -- Security officials have seized several everyday items they fear could have been used as weapons hidden by some of the illegal Chinese immigrants detained at a military base. RCMP spokeswoman Corp. Tracey Rook said the would-be migrants will appear in handcuffs for detention reviews beginning today as a security precaution. "(On Sunday night) members found hidden or concealed items that had the potential of being used as a weapon," Rook said Monday. Officers saw one of the 123 detainees at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt acting suspiciously, she said. A subsequent search uncovered a foil dinner plate that had been folded again and again to form a sharp edge. "As a result of that we did a search of all the prisoners again that night and their bedding and their environs and discovered about a handful of things that had been kept and concealed," Rook said. Police seized pens, hair combs and a safety pin among other things. "There were no incidents that happened," Rook said, adding only a small number of individuals were involved. "When they realized what was going on, some items were even pointed out or surrendered to our members." The migrants will now be handcuffed whenever they leave the gymnasium and police will do regular searches, Rook said. And their dinner will be served on Styrofoam plates. "These people are detainees and we have to ensure that they do not flee," Rook said. "We have a responsibility to the Canadian public to do our job." The migrants were taken to the suburban Victoria military base last Wednesday after spending 38 days in the cargo hold of a filthy, dilapidated ship found off the rugged west coast of Vancouver Island. Most are seeking refugees status. Immigration authorities have finished initial interviews and the majority of the migrants have filled out refugee claim applications. A team of legal aid lawyers travelled to the base to meet with them Monday, before detention reviews begin today. Immigration officials will seek to keep most of the would-be immigrants in custody beyond seven days. There are three reasons for seeking further detention: either the department is not satisfied with their identity, thinks they might be a danger to the public or does not believe they will show up for their next immigration proceeding. The detention reviews must be complete by 1 a.m. Wednesday, exactly one week from the time the migrants were taken into custody. Up to four or five reviews will take place at a time on the military base in order to meet the deadline. Some reviews may be done in groups. The migrants on the unmarked ship -- including 13 teenage boys -- had no identification. Many have told immigration officials they paid large sums of money to be smuggled into the country. RCMP investigators believe 19 of those aboard the ship were involved in the human smuggling operation. Those people have been segregated from the others. The teens and women have also been separated from the rest. Immigration spokesman George Varnai could not say whether officials will seek to keep the teens in custody as well. "It depends on the individual, not their age," he said. B.C. Children's Ministry social workers have met with the youngsters, aged 14 to 17, and will be present at their hearings. As the investigation continues, police are focusing on links to organized crime groups. RCMP have interviewed approximately 30 of the 123 who were on board, but the investigation will take some time because the interviews are done through a translator.
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