Aaron Bunch Journalist with Australian Associated Press | Collection of published work | + 61 484 008 119 | abunch@aap.com.au

Aaron Bunch
Suspected asylum seekers rounded up in Qld

Queensland’s State Emergency Service says it’s been stood down after authorities rounded up a group of suspected asylum seekers in the state’s far north.

August 28, 2018

Queensland SES crews have been stood down after authorities captured a group of suspected asylum seekers who abandoned their boat in croc country north of Cairns.

State Emergency Service acting local area director Peter Rinaudo says police sent crews home late on Monday after it was determined everyone being sought had been found.

“The SES were stood down by Queensland police late yesterday … It was determined as of that stage that all of the missing persons they were looking for … were located,” he told ABC radio on Tuesday.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has said the boat, which arrived on Sunday, was clearly a people-smuggling venture, the fist to reach Australia in more than 1400 days.

Two of the men who arrived on the boat, which sank in waters near the mouth of the Daintree River, were treated to tour of the area by local fisherman who spotted them in the mangroves.

Justin Ward and Barry Preston said the pair waved them down as they passed in their boat while crabbing on Sunday afternoon.

“We got the blokes to pull in some crab pots for us and we showed them the sights and we had a bit of a banter — showed them a few crocs,” Mr Preston told the ABC.

“We thought, hang on what are we going to do with these blokes, so we drove up the river to our local boat ramp and called the cops on the way so they could meet us there.”

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