Four stowaways discovered in container at Port of Montreal

Four men, reportedly from the former Soviet republic of Georgia, were found Thursday in shipping container aboard the OOCL Montreal at the Canadian port, and officials are treating this as a case of illegal entry.    Four men were discovered hiding in a shipping container aboard the OOCL Montreal at the Port of Montreal in Canada on Thursday.
   Canadian authorities are treating it as a case of illegal entry, said officials. Local media reports say the men are from the country of Georgia, formerly part of the Soviet republic, and other than dehydration, did not suffer any injuries on their journey to Canada.
   “The incident involving the four stowaways found in a container on the OOCL Montreal on 20 July, 2017, is currently being handled and investigated by local authorities including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canada Border Services Agency and the Montreal Port Authority,” OOCL Canada spokesman Nelson Tsoi told American Shipper in an emailed statement.
   Tsoi said the company is “is working very closely with the authorities and all the stakeholders involved,” but could not provide further comment.
   According to ocean carrier schedule and capacity database BlueWater Reporting, the 4,402-TEU vessel previously called Southampton, Hamburg and Antwerp before arriving in Montreal. The OOCL Montreal is currently deployed on the St. Lawrence Service 2, jointly operated by OOCL and Hapag-Lloyd.