NASSAU, Bahamas (CMC) – The Bahamas Monday said it had detained more than 100 Haitian immigrants who sought illegal entry into the Caribbean Community (Caricom) country.

According to an official statement issued here, the 117 Haitians were apprehended in the southern Bahamas early Monday morning by members of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force.

The statement noted that while on routine patrol shortly after midnight, members of the Defence Force patrol craft HMBS LL Smith, boarded and searched a 40-foot white cabin cruiser approximately 61 nautical miles north-west of Matthew Town, Inagua.

“A thorough search of the vessel uncovered the migrants consisting of 96 males, 17 females and four children on board.

“The migrants were taken aboard the Defence Force patrol craft and they are currently being transported to New Providence where they will be handed over to immigration officials for further processing,” the statement added.

It said, “This makes a total of 190 Haitian migrants apprehended in Bahamian waters in less than two weeks,” noting that 73 undocumented migrants were apprehended off Abaco on September 8.