While camping in remote areas is one of the great joys of taking the Big Lap for many travellers, it can – unfortunately – bring up the odd ‘scare’.
While you never know it is going to turn up at the campsite and at what time, surely not even the most nervous of bush campers would be anxious about the possibility of coming across people smuggling gangs.
But, in the early hours of Tuesday morning at Pennefather Beach, a popular camping spot about 50 kilometres north of Weipa in far north Queensland, a number of campers reportedly hid in their tents as alleged people smugglers brought a large group of non-English speakers ashore from a boat.
Arrests were made after an alleged people smuggling incident. PIC: AFP
Cook MP David Kempton told media outlets that the newly arrived group of about 12 people — believed to Chinese nationals — are then thought to have made their way to Weipa where they visited a local bakery before being apprehended near a pub.
In a joint statement, the Australian Federal Police (AFP), Queensland Police (QPS), and Australian Border Force (ABF) said a Taiwanese national has been charged by the North Queensland Joint Organised Crime Taskforce (NQ JOCTF) over his alleged role in a failed people smuggling venture into Australia.
The man, 34, was arrested in a supermarket car park at Weipa, following a report from the community about suspicious activity in the area.
He was charged with one count of aggravated offence of people smuggling (involving at least five persons), contrary to section 233C(1) of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth).
Another man, 30, was also spoken to at the location and detained under the Migration Act pending further inquiries.
Investigations are ongoing.
The ABC spoke to local teacher, Dan Tonon, who was camping with his family when he said the boat landed about 500 metres from their tent.
He said the campers hid in their tents when about 10 to 15 non-English speaking people arrived about 3am, and lingered on the beach before leaving in a vehicle.
Mr Tonon said Australian Border Force officers arrived six hours later.
“People along this stretch of beach at the moment are on school holidays, and that’s why they’re here,” he told the ABC. “If they had have probably not picked school holidays to come ashore, they probably would have got away with it.”
Mr Tonon said it was a scary thought for families who regularly camped along the coast.
In February 2026, the AFP and Queensland Police Service launched the NQ JOCTF to protect vulnerable communities and Australian sovereignty by targeting organised crime, such as people smuggling and drug trafficking.
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