Report: Cunard's Queen Mary 2 used to smuggle illegal immigrants

By Gene Sloan, USA TODAY

One of the world's most famous ocean liners, the Queen Mary 2, was used to smuggle illegal immigrants into the USA, according to a New York news outlet.

The New York Daily News today reports five women and four men from China were taken into federal custody last month after the seven-year-old Cunard Line vessel pulled into New York.

The Daily News says the accused smuggler, a Malaysian named Fatt Kwee Wong, told agents he was paid $3,000 a person to bring the illegal immigrants into the country on the ship. The news outlet cited court papers.

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The Chinese nationals boarded the Queen Mary 2 in Dubai and were sailing as regular passengers, the Daily News says.

Unveiled in early 2004, the 151,400-ton Queen Mary 2 is Cunard's flagship and known for its globe-trotting voyages that include around-the-world sailings. The vessel carries more than 2,600 passengers and features some of the most elegant passenger spaces at sea including a grand ballroom, restaurant and theater (see the Cruise Log's recent comprehensive photo tour).

The Cruise Log is attempting to reach a spokesperson for Cunard for a statement.

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UPDATE, Monday, 11:54 AM: In a short statement sent to USA TODAY, Cunard has confirmed that several Queen Mary 2 passengers were taken into custody last month by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officers after the ship docked in New York. The line put the number at 12 instead of the nine reported by the Daily News.

"Cunard can confirm that 12 Chinese passengers arrived in New York on 26 April on Queen Mary 2 and were found by CBP to be traveling with invalid (false) passports," the statement says. "Cunard has supported CBP in their investigations, and the 12 disembarked passengers were turned over to their custody."

Posted May 9 2011 8:46AM

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