Captain tipped authorities to five Chinese stowaways | Oregonian

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Captain tipped authorities to five Chinese stowaways

The smugglers, members of the crew, had threatened an officer of the ship after being discovered during the voyage to Oregon

02/14/04
NOELLE CROMBIE and JOSEPH ROSE

The secret journey began in a northern Chinese port city known for its thriving farms, telecommunications and human trafficking.

Gangsters known as "snakeheads" made a deal with five desperate men: Passage to the United States on a Portland-bound cargo ship for $30,000 each. The unspoken price was spending a month on the rough seas as stowaways, confined to a closet, surviving on a diet of raw fish, raw eggs and ramen.

But in the end, the risky passage -- which included a near-mutiny after a high-ranking crew member discovered them three weeks ago -- ended Thursday in the hands of U.S. Department of Homeland Security agents. The ship's captain alerted authorities after learning two of his crewmen had smuggled the men aboard.

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