Police intercept boat in exclusion zone with 19 people on board

They received a report of the arrival at about 11.30am.

All of the passengers were recovered safely and taken to Little Bay for processing, the Royal Montserrat Police Service said in a statement on 31 January.

“Joint enquiries are ongoing by the Royal Montserrat Police Service and Immigration Department to establish the facts surrounding the vessel’s arrival in Montserrat,” the statement said.

It added that human smuggling or trafficking exploits vulnerable people.

“We will work in partnership locally and regionally to safeguard victims and bring offenders involved in such criminality to justice,” the statement added.

Anyone with information on the arrival can contact police on (664) 491-2555 or email [email protected]