MV "Sun Sea" maybe engaged in human smuggling - Canada

http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20100813_08

MV "Sun Sea" maybe engaged in human smuggling - Canada

The Thai-flagged ship MV Sun Sea, entered the Canadian 200- Nautical Mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) on Thursday (12 Aug) and believed to be carrying Tamil migrants, could be "engaged in human smuggling and human trafficking, which is obviously a very dangerous thing." A Canadian federal official said.
The Canadian government fears other migrant ships may be on the way, the federal official added.
"We are becoming a target of human smugglers and human traffickers," he further said.
"We are looking to send a message to these people who are usually (part of) criminal organizations, in some cases with possible terrorist connections in the case of the Tamil Tigers...that we are not going to allow our laws to be broken."
The suspected Tamil migrant vessel now believed to hold as many as 500 refugees and is heading for the B.C. coast, reported the Vancouver Sun.
"We expect it will land either late (Thursday) evening or early Friday morning," a senior federal official said.
The ship was intercepted by a Canadian navy ship from Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt when it reached Canada's "EEZ" at an unknown time Wednesday.
It is expected the vessel will be escorted to either Ogden Point, normally used by cruise ships near Victoria's downtown and where a similar ship was towed last year, or to CFB Esquimalt.