NT illegal boat arrivals: Fresh group of Chinese people discovered in remote NT

Residents of an Aboriginal community on the remote Arafura Sea coastline have come across of nine Chinese nationals lost in the bush. See the video.

Residents of a remote section of Top End coastline believe another boat containing what could be illegal fisherman or asylum seekers has landed in the Northern Territory, with video obtained by this masthead depicting a group of people of Asian appearance huddled by a pitch black roadside.

Footage believed to be from a location somewhere between the Cobourg Peninsula and South Goulburn appeared to depict eight men and one woman, all of Asian appearance, huddled aimlessly on the side of the road on Wednesday night.

It is understood they have since been intercepted and taken into the care of Australian Border Force and confirmed as being Chinese nationals.

A source said locals called police when they came across the group.

“They were on the side of the road so maybe they wanted to be found,” the source said.

NT Police was contacted for comment.

An Australian Border Force spokeswoman said the organisation did not comment on operational matters.

Aboriginal communities on the Arafura Sea coast between Cobourg Peninsula and South Goulburn Island believe a fresh asylum seeker or illegal fishers landing has occurred, with a group of people of Asian appearance seen huddled by a roadside on the evening of November 26, 2024. Picture: Supplied

This masthead has been unable to confirm exactly where the landing is said to have taken place, with a Croker Island source suggesting he had heard from a local community member the approximate area the group was discovered was on the mainland adjacent to South Goulburn Island.

If the locals’ suspicions are correct it would represent the second unauthorised arrival in less than a month.

Garngi Community Rangers recently rescued four foreign nationals from Croker Island who they say were dumped there with barely any provisions by an illegal fishing vessel.

According to the rangers, the men said they were from China, and were whisked away by authorities the day after their rescue, with their current status unknown.

The suspected illegal arrival comes amid increasing incursions from Indonesian fishing vessels into Australian territorial waters on the Arafura Sea coastline.

Croker Island and South Goulburn Island communities have been increasingly voluble in their appeals for additional border surveillance and resourcing, while the Northern Land Council previously said it was “alarmed” at the proliferation of the boats in recent years.

Last Friday, two more boats were intercepted in waters off Maningrida, with 190kg of sea cucumber (trepang) seized.

One of the vessels was destroyed, the other escorted from territorial waters.

Arafura MLA Manuel Brown has been contacted for comment.

Originally published as NT illegal boat arrivals: Fresh group of Chinese people discovered in remote NT