TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Kaohsiung-based cargo ship Jessie was intercepted by Taiwan’s Coast Guard as it approached Tainan’s Qigu District on Saturday (March 30) and found to be smuggling 15 illegal Vietnamese migrants. 

According to a Kaohsiung District Prosecutors investigation, in mid-March, a 42-year-old man surnamed Tsai (蔡) worked with a chief engineer surnamed Wang (王) and crew members surnamed Li (李), Kuo (郭), and Cheng (鄭) to operate the Jessie, a Cameroonian-flagged cargo ship, out of Kaohsiung Harbor.

The ship first traveled off Fujian, China, on Saturday (March 27). After agreeing to a fee of NT$150,000 (US$4,700) for transporting each illegal migrant, a smuggler from China brought 15 Vietnamese to the Jessie, per Liberty Times.

After hiding the Vietnamese migrants in the cargo hold, the ship began to return to Kaohsiung Port. Tsai then became wary that he was being tracked by the Coast Guard, so he ordered the ship to sail north of Kaohsiung.

The ship sailed toward Tainan's Qigu District to try and unload the migrants. However, the Coast Guard along with relevant authorities intercepted the Jessie at 6 p.m. on Saturday and discovered the 15 migrants. 

Kaohsiung District Prosecutors Office has charged Tsai and his four-person crew with crimes, including illegally entering the country with foreigners to earn profits. The Kaohsiung District Court agreed to detain the crew and the Vietnamese migrants are being held by the National Immigration Agency.