A boat with 100 Indian migrants could move to New Zealand: police

A fishing vessel that may contain more than 100 Indian migrants could go to New Zealand, the police said today. The boat, which carries people from Delhi and Tamil Nadu, left the port of Munambam in Kerala on Jan. 12, two officers involved in the case told Reuters.

A person from New Delhi arrested as part of the investigation, told Reuters According to police, the ship was heading to New Zealand, according to the two officers.

It is estimated that the number of pbadengers on board varies between 100 and 200 people, women and children alike, it was said.

Police recovered more than 70 bags. Officer VG Ravindran said: "The bags are filled with dry goods and clothing, which suggests that they were preparing for a long trip," said officer VG Ravindran. ] "The people and the boat disappeared somewhere in the sea. Many Indian agencies, including the coastguard, are trying to locate the boat."

For migrants to arrive in New Zealand, they must travel more than 7,000 miles across some of the world's largest seas. Hurricanes and storms are common in the straits between Indonesia and Australia, the most likely route for the boat.

A spokesman for the New Zealand Department of Immigration was not immediately available for comment.