Report Received from Army at 11:38 p.m. the Previous Night
On the morning of the 6th, eight Chinese nationals attempting to enter illegally by riding a leisure boat through the waters off Taean, Chungnam, were apprehended and are currently under police investigation. Photo by Yonhap News.
Eight Chinese nationals attempting to illegally enter South Korea for unauthorized employment by disguising themselves as anglers on a leisure boat through the waters off Taean, Chungcheongnam-do, were apprehended by the Taean Coast Guard.
According to the Taean Coast Guard on the 6th, at around 11:38 p.m. the previous night, a report was received from an Army radar base that an unidentified vessel was approaching the waters near Gaeuido, Geunheung-myeon, Taean-gun.
The military and police jointly dispatched eight patrol vessels, one aircraft, and two Army boats to track the suspected illegal entry vessel for about two hours. At 1:43 a.m., they apprehended the suspects through inspection and search in the waters 22 nautical miles (approximately 40 km) northwest of Gaeuido in the Taean sea area. It was confirmed that eight Chinese nationals, including a man in his 40s identified as A, were on board the 115-horsepower small leisure boat.
During the apprehension, one of the passengers jumped into the sea wearing a life jacket, but was safely rescued at 2:02 a.m., about 20 minutes later. The small boat used for the illegal entry was towed by a coastal rescue vessel and moved to Sinjin Port in Taean.
According to the Coast Guard investigation, those aiming for illegal employment in South Korea attempted to enter the country by boarding the small boat in Weihai, Shandong Province, China, about 300 kilometers away, at around 10 a.m. the previous day. A joint investigation by relevant agencies confirmed that there were no indications of espionage.
It was revealed that A and two others conspired to purchase the boat and illegally enter the country, and subsequently recruited five more people, including B, also in his 40s. Some of them had previously been caught as illegal residents in South Korea and had records of forced deportation. To disguise themselves as anglers, they loaded the leisure boat with four fishing rods, six 30-liter fuel containers, preserved food, bottled water, and other items before attempting illegal entry.
The Coast Guard plans to request arrest warrants for the eight individuals on charges of violating the Immigration Control Act. They also intend to investigate the circumstances under which the suspects failed to comply with the stop order during the pursuit, threw items such as fuel containers overboard, and how one passenger ended up in the sea.
A Taean Coast Guard official stated, "The military and police worked closely together to block illegal maritime entry," adding, "We will continue to protect public safety and maritime order through thorough maritime surveillance and prompt response."
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