Taipei: The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) Northern Branch announced the arrest of two Chinese nationals on Friday after they illegally sailed into Taiwan on a rubber boat, arriving at Guanyin Beach in Taoyuan early that morning. Their vessel was seized, and the individuals were later handed over to prosecutors for further investigation.

According to Focus Taiwan, the Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office disclosed on Saturday that the two individuals are a father and his 17-year-old son. Prosecutors have requested the detention of the 41-year-old father, surnamed Song, on charges of illegal entry into Taiwan. The Taoyuan District Court decided against detaining the minor, transferring him to the National Immigration Agency’s Special Operations Brigade due to his age and the possibility that he was following his father’s lead.

Sources revealed that Song claimed he fled to Taiwan seeking “freedom” due to persecution in China, though these motives remain unverified. The CGA Northern Branch noted that the pair’s rubber boat, measuring only 3.3 meters, was challenging to detect via radar.

The CGA expressed concerns over potential gray zone intrusions, citing that China has been testing Taiwan’s responses by smuggling small targets during military exercises. Since January, there have been five recorded smuggling incidents involving 38 individuals, according to the CGA.

To bolster national security, the CGA is pursuing budgets to implement coastal monitoring systems, such as thermal imaging cameras, and to enhance patrol ship capacities. They also aim to acquire additional equipment to improve stereoscopic monitoring capabilities.