USD 12,000 for passage to Korea or US

Seventeen Chinese stowaways found on a Hong Kong container ship alleged that they had paid to ‘snakeheads’ USD 12,000 to be smuggled to Korea or US. Even though ship was searched by 64 police officers, a further four stowaways succeeded in escaping from the search and were found at the next port where they were repatriated to their place of origin.