WILLEMSTAD - The Coast Guard observed a suspicious vessel near Curaçao on Sunday night. After detecting this suspicious boat, the Coast Guard's Maritime Operations Center (MOC) immediately sent the cutter Jaguar and a Metal Shark to the location where it was observed.
Once on site, the crew of the Coast Guard patrol boats spotted a small boat with a large number of people on board. Upon further investigation by the coast guards, it turned out to be a vessel with 31 undocumented migrants. All persons and the vessel were taken to the coastguard jetty where they were handed over to the Curaçao Police Force. Of the 31 individuals, 7 were female and 24 male including 3 minors. The Curaçao Police Force will investigate this matter further.
In the coming period, the Coast Guard will intensify its checks at sea in collaboration with the Curaçao Police Force. These controls are aimed at guarding the borders against illegal drug transport, illegal migration, human trafficking and firearms smuggling. In order to optimally monitor the territorial waters and coastline, the coast guard also request the help of the citizens. As alert citizens, they can inform the Coast Guard when they observe suspicious situations at sea. The Coast Guard can be reached day and night via the number 913 or via whatsapp 510 0913.