Ship seized near B.C.

[old medic]

Ship of 'unknown origin' seized near B.C. coast

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20091017/seized_vessel_091017/20091017?hub=TopStoriesV2

RCMP have seized a vessel of "unknown origin" carrying 76 people and "unknown cargo," after it sailed into Canadian waters off the coast of British Columbia early Saturday.

"The RCMP took steps to intervene with close support of the Canadian Forces and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)," Minister of Public Safety Peter Van Loan said in a statement. "An RCMP Emergency Response Team trained in maritime intervention boarded and took control of the vessel."

The RCMP vessels Higgitt and Lindsay, and the Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Regina, are escorting the ship to Ogden Point.

It's unclear where the vessel came from. It was sailing under the name of "Ocean Lady."

RCMP are expected to hold a press conference later today.

 

[Sprinting Thistle]

Perhaps an Olympic Team arriving a bit early? 

 

[155mmMoose]

I don't know much about the olympics, but only 76 people sounds a little small for a team.

 

[GAP]

I don't know much about the olympics, but only 76 people sounds a little small for a team.

Yeah, but it's only the Sira Lankan bobsled team.... they're new!! 

 

[Sprinting Thistle]

The ship in the photo could easily hold a bobsled training run inside so they could practice on the way over. 

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

While you joke stop for a minute and think of the ships that do get through and what they may be carrying...this is a serious matter and one we need to more aggressively pursue.

 

[MARS]

While you joke stop for a minute and think of the ships that do get through and what they may be carrying...this is a serious matter and one we need to more aggressively pursue.

Agreed.  I was involved when this last happened in 1999.  I hope this is not a repeat.  This is a serious issue.  When you see the plot of the entire west coast and the number of ships that are making their way to North America at any given moment - that is a huge AOR for the number of assets we have deployed.  A certain amount of luck - and some seriously top notch investigative police work is involved to catch these guys.

CBC radio is reporting that Regina was one of the two frigates involved.  Her CO is a good friend.  BZ to both Ship's Companies, the RCMP and all involved. 

Edited to reflect the proper quote I meant to reference, from Ex-Dragoon

 

[CougarKing]

Yeah, but it's only the Sra Lankan bobsled team.... they're new!! 

Well anything's possible when it comes to that.  ;D

 

[Monsoon]

As far as I'm able to piece together, Regina has been looking for her since last weekend. Kind of a **itty to spend Thanksgiving, but good work, guys.

 

[Antoine]

I am a bit confuse with the mission of NAVRES.

I thought that NAVRES boards ships, and then bring it to RCMP, obviously I was wrong.

Who was in command of the foreign ship navigation and the over all operation, MARS officers or RCMP?

Who leads who in those situations?

 

[Monsoon]

I thought that NAVRES boards ships, and then bring it to RCMP, obviously I was wrong.

Who was in command of the foreign ship navigation and the over all operation, MARS officers or RCMP?

Who leads who in those situations?

I think you're mistaking the acronym "NAVRES" (which refers specifically to the Naval Reserve) to mean "the navy".

You're right that the RCMP is the lead agency for domestic security matters, but in the absence of a large waterborne platform the navy is tasked to conduct the maritime end of the operation. REGINA did the take-down, but you can bet that the intelligence was sourced through the RCMP (and probably CSIS originally) and that there were a couple of RCMP officers onboard when the ship was seized.

This is similar to the model used for fishery patrols, where a naval asset serves as the platform but a couple of DFO (Department of Fisheries and Oceans) guys are embarked to carry the right legal authority.

When this happened back in 1999 (as MARS referred to), the RCMP was the lead agency in corralling the migrants at Work Point. The extra police were housed at VENTURE, leading to delicious friction between them and my MARS III course. Seems they didn't care for living four to a room...

Edit to add:

From the Globe & Mail story (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/rcmp-seize-ship-off-bc-coast/article1328171/)-
On Friday afternoon, the naval vessel HMCS Regina approached the Ocean Lady in waters near Port Renfrew and an armed emergency response team boarded it and took control.

The ERT is an RCMP asset, so there they are.

 

[gcclarke]

My  :2c:. In this situation, a warship is a good platform for a number of reasons.

A) They have a much much better capability of tracking suspected "vessels of interest" than anything the RCMP or Coast Guard could put to sea. I also wouldn't be surprised if there were some Auroras in on the action as well.

B) They are fairly fast and maneuverable, making it easy to get the RCMP ERT to the scene, so they can do their job.

C) A big ole warship with a big ole gun on the Foc's'le is a pretty decent way to convince the vessel that it should probably co-operate. While it is unlikely that we would let loose with the main gun, there is always that looming threat of violence that makes people realize that they should probably pay attention. This also doesn't discount the possibility of getting a few warning shots in however.

But anyways, in this situation, the Navy is providing what we call "Aid to civil power". As this vessel isn't likely to be carrying a squad of commandos looking to invade the country, it's also not really the Force's responsibility to deal with it. But, we can and often do assist other governmental departments in carrying out their duties, anything from drug interdiction to snow removal. But in those cases, we're helping out, not in charge, and thus someone else will always be the lead agency.

 

[medicineman]

All I know is that I was sitting on my ruck until late yesterday afternoon with a bunch of others to medically screen and treat the detainees when they arrived - but another agency graciously let us off the hook and so went to a mess dinner instead.  I do echo someone else in hoping that this isn't a repeat of 10 years ago.

Good work Regina.

MM

 

[Antoine]

Thanks guys for your answers.

I was thinking about the naval reserve as they support the Coast guard on Canadian water and they are trained for coastal defense in case of an attack coming from sea (from what I understood as an outsider). I think I got confused with NAVRES mission due to the coming winter Olympic.

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

Thanks guys for your answers.

I was thinking about the naval reserve as they support the Coast guard on Canadian water and they are trained for coastal defense in case of an attack coming from sea (from what I understood as an outsider). I think I got confused with NAVRES mission due to the coming winter Olympic.

The Reg Force  also supports as well is supported by the CCG as well as other govermental agencies. We do coastal defence as well...

 

[MARS]

I was thinking about the naval reserve as they support the Coast guard on Canadian water and they are trained for coastal defense in case of an attack coming from sea (from what I understood as an outsider). I think I got confused with NAVRES mission due to the coming winter Olympic.

Antione,

None of those tasks are generic to the Naval Reserve.  The Naval Reserve is a "Force Generator" - it generates a capability, in our case, trained sailors.  Support to the CG, defence of the coastline, Op Podium (Olympics) are all tasks and missions assigned to the Navy as a whole.  There are no NAVRES ships per se, they all "belong" to the Fleet Commander.  That KINGSTON Class Ships happen to be crewed in the most part by Naval Reservists matters none to the Commander.  It matters to the Naval Reserve insofar as it greatly shapes our training.  The Naval Reserve does have missions assigned to it, but they are devolved from and subordinate to the mission assigned to Martime Command.

Hope that clears things up.

Cheers,

MARS

Edited for spelling

 

[Antoine]

Thanks MARS,

Yes, it does clear things up.

I was still confused on the general mission of NAVRES despite I read time to time "the link", the NAVRES website and different information gathered from recruiting info sessions.

Regards,

 

[old medic]

RCMP seize ship off B.C. coast
The Canadian Press and Globe and Mail
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/rcmp-seize-ship-off-bc-coast/article1328171/

Dozens of would-be migrants were towed into a Victoria port Saturday after a large-scale, two-day military and police operation kicked into gear following a tip that the vessel had sailed unannounced into Canadian waters.

In all, 76 men were found on the ship and were believed to be in good health, considering the voyage they had just undertaken, Rob Johnston, of the Canada Border Services Agency, said at a news conference.

Their vessel, the “Ocean Lady,” was also described as being in decent condition.

“However, even though we’re satisfied, we are making arrangements for medical examinations as we process them through,” Mr. Johnston said.

Mr. Johnston said the agency will deal with refugee claims if any are made by the passengers.

Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan said there were preliminary indications the ship originated in Sri Lanka, though he stressed that information had not been confirmed and authorities at the news conference couldn’t say where the men are from.

"Obviously they were arriving in an unconventional fashion," Mr. Van Loan said Saturday evening. "Our first concern here is obviously humanitarian. Our next concern, obviously, is insuring that Canada's laws are respected."

In an interview on Sunday with CTV’s Question Period, Defence Minister Peter MacKay declined to characterize it as a smuggling operation.

He said a forensic examination of the “Ocean Lady” is ongoing and interviews must be completed with the ship’s crew and the 70 other men who were on board.

Mr. MacKay also said Canada was not at risk and added the navy and RCMP responded brilliantly.

The RCMP did not identify the country of origin of the passengers or crew aboard the ship at a brief news conference held just after 6 p.m. PT Saturday in the shadow of the seized vessel.

RCMP Assistant Commissioner Al MacIntyre said officials are awaiting help from experts to determine their language so they can properly communicate with those aboard.

Asked whether there were children on board, Comm. MacIntyre declined to directly answer, noting there were various ages and investigators are trying to catalogue them all.

On Friday afternoon, the naval vessel HMCS Regina approached the Ocean Lady in waters near Port Renfrew and an armed emergency response team boarded it and took control.

No shots were fired and there were no injuries.

The people on board the vessel told Canadian officials they wanted to go to Canada. They are now detained — authorities wouldn’t say where — and are being processed under Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

As the officials spoke, the Ocean Lady was moored to a pier about 10 metres away, shrouded in fog.

Pictures released by the RCMP of the ship appear to show people wearing civilian clothes and waving to a helicopter overhead. Some are shirtless.

Ten years ago, four ships — some of them rusting and barely seaworthy — were seized along the northern coasts of Vancouver Island and their occupants detained.

More than 400 people, including women and children, were on the boats, all of them from Fujian province in China.

As the people kept coming in boat after boat in July and August of 1999, hasty moves were made to turn a large gymnasium complex at Victoria’s CFB Esquimalt into a mass detention facility.

Some migrants, suspected to be the so-called “snakeheads” or human smugglers in charge of the operation, were sent to Vancouver and Victoria jails. The migrants paid thousands of dollars to the smugglers for passage into Canada.

More than 50 children and teens were sent to B.C. government group homes.

Authorities believe at least two other ships snuck into B.C. waters that year and successfully delivered their cargo before being sunk.

 

[The Bread Guy]

CanWest: 

Seventy-six men suspected of illegally entering Canada will be held in Vancouver to determine if they have refugee claims, says the Canadian Border Services Agency.  Rob Johnston, CBSA director of enforcement, said Sunday in Victoria the migrants – who are thought to be from Sri Lanka – were being taken to Metro Vancouver for processing.  "All of the irregular migrants will undergo the examination process to determine if they are eligible under the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Protection Act," he said....

Agence France-Presse:

The Canadian Tamil Congress says its lawyers will represent dozens of illegal migrants arrested on a mystery ship seized off Canada's West Coast.  Detention hearings will begin early this week for as many as 76 migrants from a freighter seized Friday by Canadian military....

A few pix from the RCMP news release attached.

 

[GAP]

This has to stop.....

"All of the irregular migrants will undergo the examination process to determine if they are eligible under the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Protection Act,"

You do an end run....you get punted...