People will take extreme measures to illegally immigrate into America—but riding a luxury cruise ship is a new one to us. Yet that is exactly how a group of Chinese immigrants tried to smuggle themselves into the country last month. Cunard Line has confirmed that "12 Chinese passengers arrived in New York on 26 April on Queen Mary 2 and were found by Customs and Border Patrol to be traveling with invalid (false) passports. Cunard has supported CBP in their investigations, and the 12 disembarked passengers were turned over to their custody."
But if you were imagining these immigrants hiding in storage beneath deck you would be wrong. No sir, in what is thought to be a first for New York people smuggling, these illegal immigrants were listed on the boat's manifest and got to enjoy the its myriad amenities on their voyage, which include a Canyon Ranch spa, Royal Court Theater, planetarium, gourmet restaurants and, according to Cunard, the "largest ballroom at sea."
The scheme was reportedly run by a man named Fatt Kwee Wong who told agents he was paid $3,000 per passenger by an unidentified Chinese person. The immigrants also handed over an additional $500 when they boarded the ship in Dubai (crossings on the QM2 appear to start around $600 per passenger).
According to the News, Wong, who carries a Japanese passport, aroused suspicion at immigration when he had no clue of the names of his dozen companions. A fingerprint check showed that he was wanted for smuggling aliens into Bermuda and he was quickly ordered held without bail.
