TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taiwan Coast Guard have recovered an unmanned speedboat suspected to have been used for smuggling from the ocean off Taiwan’s outlying island of Penghu.

The vessel was spotted on Sunday afternoon (Aug. 27) by a member of the public off the coast of Penghu’s westernmost point, per CNA. The Coast Guard investigated the sighting on Tuesday and found an unregistered speedboat about 10 meters in length that they said appeared to have originated from outside Taiwan.

It is suspected the vessel was abandoned by Chinese smugglers, though no items of interest were found inside. After towing the boat to shore, an inspection revealed the boat was equipped with four outboard motors, and was slightly damaged on its sides.

In May 2022 LTN reported the sighting of a similar vessel off the coast of Matsu, another of Taiwan’s outlying islands, which at the time was described by fishers as being a rare sight. The boat also appears similar to the “big flier” speedboats that were commonly used to smuggle contraband between Hong Kong and China in the 1980s and 1990s.

The boat sits onshore after being recovered by the Coast Guard. (CNA photo)