People smugglers testing the waters

A BOAT containing people smugglers and suspected asylum seekers has come close to reaching Australian territory before being swooped on by the Navy.

RUTHLESS people smugglers and suspected asylum seekers have tested their first trafficking voyage in six months and were breathtakingly close to reaching Australian territory before being swooped on by the Navy.

The three Indonesian crew and seven Chinese nationals were intercepted in Northern Australian waters in mid-June before being turned back to Indonesia under the Turnbull Government’s Operation Sovereign Borders policy, it can be exclusively revealed today.

The revelation comes as intelligence agencies continue to warn the Government that criminal syndicates hope to resurrect their misery trade, which is as lucrative as drug running.

This image obtained by The Sunday Mail shows four Australian Navy personnel on board the intercepted vessel.

Thousands of desperate people remain in Indonesia in a bid to claim asylum in Australia.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said: “This is yet another example that the people smugglers haven’t stopped and if we don’t keep the same strong and consistent policies we will return to the bad old days of hundreds of boat arrivals under Rudd and Gillard.’’

The issue of immigration and asylum seekers is also a hot-button issue in the by-election battleground of Longman, north of Brisbane.

The last time people smugglers tried to smuggle asylum seekers out of Indonesia was in December when there were calls for asylum seekers to be brought to Australia during the hotly contested by-election in Bennelong.

“(The people smugglers) will see and are seeing Bill Shorten’s choice of Kristina Keneally as Labor wanting to throw out the welcome mat for asylum seekers,” Mr Turnbull said at the time.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton says Australia will continue to turn back boats. Picture Kym Smith

It has been more than 1500 days since asylum seekers reached Australian territory by boat.

It comes as intelligence authorities believe some advocates on Nauru are telling refugees not to relocate to the US because an election in Australia is just months away, and under a change of government, they would have a better chance of coming to Australia.

Bill Shorten and Labor are divided on how long asylum seekers should remain in detention in regional processing centres. Under the Turnbull Government, asylum seekers who try to get to Australia by boat will be processed offshore and not come to Australia.

People smugglers across the world are highly attuned to Australia’s political system, and are said to even listen to Budget estimates to gather intelligence on how to game the system.

The latest intercept in mid-June is the 33rd boat that has been intercepted since the start of Operation Sovereign Borders (OSB) in 2013.

It is understood the large but basic vessel, which was identified by Australian authorities by air and sea surveillance, was uncomfortably close to Australian territory before it was intercepted by the Navy.

An image obtained by The Sunday Mail shows four Australian Navy personnel on board the vessel with a number of crew and Chinese nationals. The reason why the Chinese nationals were fleeing to get to Australia is unknown.

Indonesian authorities outlined that the Chinese “immigrants” arrived in Jakarta before travelling to Makassar in their bid to get to Australia by boat. They said they had left China for Indonesia in May.

Indonesia media reported recently a boat carrying Chinese nationals was found drifting in Tablolong waters, in Kupang District in mid-June. The Indonesia captain and crew reportedly fled leaving the Chinese nationals on board.

Australian Border Force’s latest OSB update states one boat was turned back to its “country of departure” but offers no further details.