Dutton says Daintree boat Australia’s first people-smuggling vessel in 1400 days
More than a dozen foreign nationals are missing after their boat sank in croc-infested waters, in the first arrival in 1400 days.
Foreign nationals whose boat ran aground in a crocodile-infested area of far North Queensland are part of “the first people smuggling venture” to reach Australia in 1400 days, according to Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton.
Mr Dutton has confirmed the boat that ran aground in north Queensland carrying a number of suspected migrants was believed to be from Vietnam.
Mr Dutton acknowledged the fact the boat reached the mainland suggested there had been some sort of failure in border protection systems.
“I want to confirm for you today that Australia, we believe, has received the first vessel — the first people-smuggling venture — in over 1400 days,” Mr Dutton said.
“The vessel arrived off the Daintree in Far North Queensland and obviously those matters are under investigation and there’s an operation underway in relation to this matter.”
Authorities reportedly captured four more people this morning from the group who had fled the fishing boat which ran aground in far north Queensland over the weekend.
More than a dozen of the foreign nationals, believed to be Vietnamese are still being sought after they hid in thick rainforest on Sunday when their boat was deliberately run aground near the Daintree River about 100km north of Cairns.
At least 15 are now believed to be in custody after a combined Australian Border Force and Queensland Police on Sunday afternoon managed to nab 11 of the migrants.
But conflicting reports suggested dozens more could still hiding in thick jungle near the river which is a well known crocodile habitat.
A senior government source said last night Border force officials were still unsure if the people were asylum-seekers or fishermen whose vessel had broken down and drifted from international waters.
The group was thought to have jumped from the boat and swam to shore when it ran aground near the mouth of the river, which is a popular tourist destination for crocodile watching cruises.
Border force officers, police and the SES are searching surrounding rainforests, mangroves and stopping every vehicle headed for the only route out — the Daintree River ferry
Morning tour boat operators reported three more of the migrants had been picked up early this morning near the Daintree Ferry — a jumping off point for the crocodile-watching cruises.
Border Force has declined to comment on whether further arrests had occurred or even the exact number of those already apprehended and their country of origin.
The Department of Home Affairs has described the boat as an illegal fishing vessel, but so far have not confirmed media reports that those on-board were Vietnamese, and included women and children.
However former Border Force head Roman Quaedvlieg tweeted that it was possible that the group were connected to a Vietnamese fishing crew and the attempted north Queensland landing was “not unusual”.
“It’s relatively easy to do, but most don’t get far once landed due to hostility and are soon detained or give themselves up quickly. Their asylum claims fail in the majority,’’ he tweeted.
Last night Daintree River Fishing operator Dave Patterson told The Australian that he spotted the “junk-like’’ vessel off Cape Kimberley, near the mouth of the Daintree River, about 8am yesterday.
It’s not unusual for Vietnamese asylum seekers to target a remote part of the Australian Coast. It’s relatively easy to do; but most don’t get far once landed due to the hostility and are soon detained or give themselves up quickly. Their asylum claims fail in the majority.
— Roman Quaedvlieg (@quaedvliegs) August 26, 2018
“The boat was drifting and local fishermen put it under tow to bring it in and it sunk just at the mouth of the river,’’ he said.
“The people on the boat swam and ran into the jungle.’’
Douglas Shire Mayor Julia Leu said the area being searched was either dense rainforest or mangroves, which “is full of crocs’’.
Ms Leu said helicopters and boats were involved in the search.
“They are taking their lives into their own hands by moving through those mangroves, which is the croc’s natural habitat,’’ she said.
“You have to remember we have a thriving tourism industry up here and one of the reasons is that there are plenty of crocs to see.
Australian Border Force and Queensland Police officers spent several hours last night looking for the group that had waded through crocodile-infested waters and mangroves to avoid being found.
Using broken English, one person identified himself as a Vietnamese taxi driver. Officials were last night scrambling to find interpreters.
“It is certainly a big number of fishermen to be on a boat of its size, but we have also been told that is not unusual,’’ a source said.
“Normally, if it was a boat of asylum-seekers then once they hit land, the people-smugglers have told them to stay put and claim asylum. In this situation they have all fled.’’
Figures compiled by the parliamentary library indicate the last asylum-seeker boat to arrive in Australian waters was on July 27, 2014, when a boat carrying 158 people was intercepted.
The passengers, originating from an Indian port, were subsequently transferred to Curtin detention centre in Western Australia and then on to Nauru for processing.
The same document shows 29 boats have been turned back since December 2013.
A police source said local officers had been told to treat the group as suspected illegal immigrants.
The boat arrival comes just two days after Scott Morrison, who dealt with the asylum-seeker crisis under Tony Abbott, was sworn in as Prime Minister.
Mr Morrison took on the immigration portfolio in 2013, and instigated the controversial Operation Sovereign Borders, giving the military personnel responsibility for heading off unauthorised asylum-seekers caught at sea and denying them entry to Australia.
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