Ship of unknown origin

www.ctv.ca...

intercepted off the west coast of Canada.

"Seventy-six would-be migrants have been taken into custody in Victoria after the RCMP commandeered the ship that had been carrying them off the coast of British Columbia.

The RCMP vessels Higgitt and Lindsay, and the Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Regina, escorted the ship to port after it was intercepted.

The vessel was sailing under the name of "Ocean Lady." Its crew is reportedly Canadian, and its passengers are believed to be from Sri Lanka.

Both passengers were in good health, considering they had been at sea for some time, the Canada Border Services Agency's Rob Johnston said at a news conference.

"Even though we're satisfied, we are making arrangements for medical examinations as we process them through," Johnston said.

Crowds of people gathered along the water where the ship docked. However, officials put up tarps to keep the vessel and its cargo out of sight.

"Each passenger came off one by one, rather than all coming down at once," said CTV's Jim Beattie. "They have all been interviewed, processed, checked for health concerns."

The passengers are of varying ages, he said, but officials were not saying whether there were children on board."

[edit on 17-10-2009 by leo123]