Chinese Nationals Caught Smuggling into Incheon Waters by Jet Ski Traveling 300 km Detained

Man in His 30s Moves to Sea with 5 Fuel Tanks
Coast Guard Unable to Detect... Reports Grounding Himself

A man in his 30s from China was caught attempting to enter the country illegally by riding a jet ski. The police have arrested him on charges of violating the Immigration Control Act and are currently investigating.

The Incheon Coast Guard announced on the 20th that they had arrested a Chinese national in his 30s, identified as Mr. A, who tried to enter Incheon illegally.

Mr. A attempted to enter illegally on the mudflats near the Incheon Port Cruise Terminal in Songdo, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, riding a jet ski around 9:23 PM on the 16th.

He departed from Shandong Province in China, more than 300 km away from Incheon, and arrived at the waters off Incheon. It was confirmed that he had no accomplices or passengers.

He filled an 1800cc jet ski with 70 liters of fuel and equipped himself with a life jacket, binoculars, a compass, and a helmet. He continuously replenished fuel using five 25-liter fuel containers tied together with rope. Used fuel containers were discarded into the sea.

According to maritime authorities, Mr. A was first detected by the Army’s Thermal Observation Device (TOD) around 8 PM on the 18th. The military noticed that Mr. A suddenly stopped near Incheon Bridge in Jung-gu, Incheon, around 9:20 PM that day and reported “an unusual vessel” to the Coast Guard.

Jet ski ridden by Chinese illegal immigrant Mr. A [Image source=Provided by Incheon Coast Guard]

Mr. A was first detected by the Army’s Thermal Observation Device (TOD) around 8 PM on the 16th. The military tracked Mr. A, identified as an unidentified vessel, and around 9:23 PM, confirmed that he had run aground on the mudflats near the Incheon Port Cruise Terminal and notified the Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard was unaware that Mr. A had entered the waters off Incheon until the military detected and reported him. In fact, after running aground on the shallow mudflats, Mr. A himself called the fire department and other authorities around 9:33 PM to request rescue.

After receiving the information belatedly, the Coast Guard deployed patrol forces and rescued Mr. A around 10:11 PM on the same day, securing his custody.

Previously, in 2020, the Coast Guard was criticized for a delayed response after Chinese illegal immigrants infiltrated the Taean coast of Chungnam Province by riding leisure motorboats. At that time, the Coast Guard was notified that the boats used by the illegal immigrants were docked on the coast but only informed the military two hours later, drawing criticism for poor initial response.

The Coast Guard stated that they arrested Mr. A through continuous cooperation with the military, which is responsible for coastal surveillance. A Coast Guard official explained, “It is practically impossible for the Coast Guard to patrol the entire maritime area. Therefore, the military usually handles maritime surveillance using various radars and equipment, and when they detect abnormal signs, they notify the Coast Guard to respond.”

Meanwhile, during the Coast Guard investigation, Mr. A reportedly stated that he had previously stayed in Korea and had visited Incheon several times. The Coast Guard said, “We are continuing to investigate the exact circumstances of Mr. A’s illegal entry.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.