VIETNAMESE SAILORS SMUGGLE INTO THE COUNTRY

[Anchor Lead]

Four Vietnamese sailors who were unloading cargo at a Busan port have vanished. They are suspected of smuggling into the country via sea but port authorities found about it a day later and have yet to identify their escape route.

[Pkg]

A tuna catching vessel docked at Gamcheon Port in Busan. Four Vietnamese sailors who were on board the ship disappeared on Saturday. They are suspected of illegally entering the country after jumping into the sea. Security and quarantine have been stepped up at Gamcheon Port following a cluster COVID-19 outbreak among Russian sailors. But authorities learned about the disappearance a day after it happened. 4 days have passed and still, officials have no idea how the sailors fled.

[Soundbite] (BUSAN IMMIGRATION OFFICE(VOICE MODIFIED)) : "We are also speculating as there's no camera footage to verify."

Similar cases have been continuously reported at Gamcheon Port but no security cameras cover the area of sea where sailors swim to illegally enter Korea. Despite serious security loopholes, port authorities are busy passing the buck and shifting the blame.

[Soundbite] (BUSAN PORT SECURITY CORP.(VOICE MODIFIED)) : "Maritime-related issues are outside our jurisdiction. The Busan Immigration Office has oversight of vessel related matters."

The runaway sailors are known to have tested COVID-19 negative. The Busan Metropolitan Police Agency has put out a BOLO for the Vietnamese sailors and vowed to pull out all the stops toarrest them.