TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's Coast Guard on Sunday (June 9) intercepted a Chinese man driving a small motorboat near the mouth of the Tamsui River. 

The Coast Guard began monitoring the small boat around 11 a.m. after it was six nautical miles (11 kilometers) from Tamsui. The public also reported the suspicious vessel to authorities as it approached Fisherman’s Wharf, reported CNA. 

The Coast Guard dispatched a patrol boat and officers on land to intercept the motorboat and arrest the suspect. The man was reportedly around 60 years old and claimed that he came to Taiwan seeking freedom, per UDN. 

Reports indicated the man rode on a larger boat from Fuzhou past the Taiwan Strait median line and then boarded the smaller vessel to get to shore. The man reportedly told officers he intended to enter Taiwan illegally.  

The Chinese man was ordered to be detained by authorities. His boat has been impounded, and the case has been forwarded to Shilin District Prosecutors Office. 

LTN reported that some details of the case are being kept confidential.