[Photo: CRI Online]

5. Jian Seng

The Jian Seng was an 80-meter-long tanker of unknown origin that was spotted drifting 180 km south-west of Weipa, Queensland in the Gulf of Carpentaria by an Australian Coastwatch aeroplane in 2006.

There was no sign of recent human activity found aboard, nor any signs that it had been engaged in illegal fishing or people smuggling.

A spokesman for Australian Customs addressed the media on March 24, 2006, stating that they had been unable to obtain documentary evidence of its registration or origin port at this stage, but materials recovered indicated the vessel was the Jian Seng, though the name and identifying features had been painted over.

Since no owner of the ship could ever be located, it was towed to deep water on April 21, 2006 and scuttled.