
                         THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
                 Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, June 23, 1994                    TAG: 9406230544 
SECTION: LOCAL                     PAGE: B5    EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS 
DATELINE: 940623                                 LENGTH: PORTSMOUTH

COAST GUARD INTERCEPTS BOAT OF 108 MIGRANTS FROM CHINA

{LEAD} The U.S. Coast Guard intercepted a fishing vessel carrying 108 undocumented Chinese migrants about 350 miles off Norfolk, the Coast Guard said Wednesday.

The vessel, the Captain Denny, homeported in Philadelphia, was intercepted Saturday outside U.S. territorial waters by agents from the Coast Guard and the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, said Lt. Scott Decker, a spokesman for the Coast Guard command center in Portsmouth.

{REST} Decker said the fishing boat remains at sea under Coast Guard escort while an investigation continues. He did not know where it was destined or when it would arrive in port.

``The vessel is still out there,'' Decker said. ``The immigrants are still out there.''

Eighteen other people were aboard the fishing vessel, Decker said. He did not know their nationality.

The Coast Guard said the six crew members from the Captain Denny have been transferred to a Coast Guard cutter.

No other information was immediately available Wednesday.

``We're trying to control the leaks,'' Decker said. ``We don't want to get incorrect information out.''

by CNB