BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – GEORGE WENSLEY, captain of MV Miss Over, the vessel that reportedly entered the Federation illegally on Thursday (Jan. 14), was slapped with two charges and fined EC$2,000 on each.
On Saturday (Jan. 16), SKNVibes had published an article headlined “Dominican Republic nationals in custody over alleged immigration issues”, in which the information received concerning the men’s nationality was incorrect.
However, further investigations revealed that the two men who were in custody, Wensley and crew member Caleb Jarvis, are nationals of the Commonwealth of Dominica and that the latter was not charged.
Additional investigations, which were confirmed by Assistant Commissioner of Police Ian Queeley and a Senior Immigration Officer, revealed that one male and a female are currently in custody pending investigations.
The two individuals are reportedly not in possession of any legal document to ascertain their identity, but they are believed to be Haitians, as Wensley had informed investigators that they boarded the vessel in Haiti..
Evidence has surfaced that there were 14 more occupants aboard the vessel and they are believed to be hiding in either St. Kitts or Nevis.
It was revealed that the vessel was not destined for the Federation and is believed to have been heading to either St. Thomas or Tortola. However, while on the high seas, the vessel encountered engine problems and the captained manoeuvred it into the shores of St. Kitts.
Information, which had reached this publication last week, indicated that a blue, white and red vessel was seen just off the shores in Newtown from which four persons had disembarked and went ashore.
The incident was reported at the St. Kitts-Nevis Defence Force’s Coast Guard Base via telephone and personnel from that entity were immediately dispatched to investigate the report.
It is said that they patrolled along the shoreline as far as Irishtown but the vessel was not seen. However, after returning to Base Camp empty-handed, another investigating team was dispatched aboard the CGV Hermitage and the vessel was eventually located in the Caribbean Sea in the vicinity of SOL EC Ltd. on the Bay Road, but no one was aboard.
SKNVibes was reliably informed that members of the Royal St. Christopher Police Force had apprehended two men, one of whom was the captain of the vessel.
The vessel was boarded by members of the Police Force, Immigration and the Coast Guard and a thorough search was conducted but nothing illegal was found.
The 37-foot long vessel was subsequently towed to the Coast Guard Base, where it was secured by anchor pending further investigations.
The two men were taken to the Headquarters of the Customs and Excise Department, where they were questioned by personnel from that entity along with members of the other three security services.
SKNVibes has learnt that the police are in search of the 14 other persons and that a press release would be disseminated along with their pictures.
