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<\/p>\nA Taiwanese national has been charged over an alleged people smuggling operation in Far North Queensland.<\/p>\n
The group allegedly came ashore from a boat at Pennefather Beach, a popular camping spot about 50 kilometres north of Weipa, in the early hours of Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n
In a statement, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) said the 34-year-old man was arrested in a Weipa supermarket car park later in the day.<\/p>\n
The 34-year-old has been charged with one count of aggravated offence of people smuggling (involving at least five persons), which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment.<\/p>\n
The man appeared in Cairns Magistrates Court on Wednesday and was remanded in custody. He is expected to appear in court again on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The AFP said another man, 30, was also spoken to and detained under the Migration Act pending further inquiries.<\/p>\n
Campers reportedly hid in tents<\/p>\n
Local teacher Dan Tonon was camping at Pennefather Beach with his family when he said the boat landed about 500 metres from their tent.<\/p>\n
While he did not see the vessel arrive, he said other nearby campers did and were rattled.<\/p>\n
He said the campers hid in their tents when about 10 to 15 non-English speaking people arrived about 3am and lingered on the beach before leaving in a vehicle.<\/p>\n
Mr Tonon said Australian Border Force officers arrived six hours later.<\/p>\n
“We’ve got word now that they’ve been caught,” he said.<\/p>\n
Mr Tonon said he was concerned that boats were able to come ashore without detection.<\/p>\n
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Campers saw an Australian Border Force helicopter land at Pennefather Beach. (Supplied: Dan Tonon)<\/p>\n
“People along this stretch of beach at the moment are on school holidays, and that’s why they’re here,” he said.<\/p>\n
“If they had have probably not picked school holidays to come ashore, they probably would have got away with it.”<\/p>\n
Mr Tonon said it was a scary thought for families who regularly camped along the coast.<\/p>\n
Australian Border Force has not confirmed any details relating to the incident.<\/p>\n
“The ABF does not comment on or confirm operational matters,” an ABF spokesperson said.<\/p>\n
‘National security issue’<\/p>\n
CCTV footage from a Weipa bakery shows two men were arrested on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The pair were suspected of facilitating the arrival of the boat.<\/p>\n
Weipa bakery owner Josh Lyon was cleaning up about 2pm yesterday when he saw “a bit of movement” out of the corner of his eye.<\/p>\n
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CCTV footage shows two men ordering from Weipa bakery.\u00a0 (Supplied: Weipa bakery)<\/p>\n
“These guys just came through and bought a burger and a soft drink and sort of went and sat down,” he said.<\/p>\n
“A couple of uniformed officers \u2026 not so much cut them off but made sure there was no way to get away.”<\/p>\n
He said the men “didn’t seem too agitated” when the officers approached them as they sat down to eat.<\/p>\n
State Member for Cook David Kempton confirmed people from the boat had now been detained as alleged illegal arrivals.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“You could imagine this is a national security issue and official information will be pretty scant until the federal government decides what they’re going to do with these people,” he said.<\/p>\n
“I can’t exactly reveal my source but I’m pretty confident.”<\/p>\n
Mr Kempton said he had been told the occupants “dispersed into the community before they were caught”.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
Cook MP David Kempton said he had been told two people were charged. (ABC Far North: Sophie Johnson)<\/p>\n
“I don’t know whether the people arrested were on the vessel or off the vessel,” he said.<\/p>\n
“If they had been in a more remote area, they could’ve gone undetected for quite a period of time and I think that’s the biggest concern.”<\/p>\n
Mr Kempton said ABF needed to engage with other agencies, such as the Australian Defence Force, to ensure the border was secure and local intelligence was being used efficiently.<\/p>\n
“It’s an extensive border over a vast area but it’s now internationally known as being porous,” he said.<\/p>\n
“This is just going to continue to get worse as this whole geopolitical tension goes on in the region.”<\/p>\n
Australia’s Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke responded, but did not acknowledge this incident near Weipa.<\/p>\n
“We will not take a lecture on border security from three right-wing parties who just yesterday voted in the senate to make public Australia’s aerial surveillance contract \u2014 information which people smugglers would kill to have,” he said.<\/p>\n
“Operation Sovereign Borders continues to ensure that people smuggling ventures are never successful.”<\/p>\n
Queensland Police Minister Dan Purdie said Queensland officers were assisting federal authorities.<\/p>\n