An intelligence source told the Toronto Star that there is potential for Canadian or American coast guards to board the vessel before it reaches Canadian waters as a way of deterring the vessel from landing.

So far, no one in the Tamil communities in Canada have made contact with any of the migrants supposedly on the vessel, according to Gary Anandasangaree, one of the lawyers representing some of the Tamil migrants who arrived in Victoria by another ship last October, the Toronto Star said.

The MV Sun Sea had been spotted in the Bay of Thailand in April and was seen a month later heading toward Australia. It has most recently been spotted leaving the Southeast Asian waters, according to Lisa Monette, spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Monette said the Canadian government is following up reports that the vessel is potentially heading to Canada.

“The government of Canada’s strategic approach with respect to migrant vessels includes efforts abroad that involve stopping illegal migrant-smuggling ships that are destined for Canada at their points of departure,” she said in a statement.

According to reports, the MV Sun Sea was earlier known as the Harin Panich and was used to by the LTTE to smuggle arms, ammunition and explosives.

U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Sondra Kneen, speaking Monday from the Pacific-area headquarters in Alameda, Calif., that few details can be released and officials can say nothing about where the vessel is and what direction it’s taking.

Kneen said she cannot release information about whether the vessel has been boarded by Coast Guard authorities at this point.

Last October, the Ocean Lady was spotted and escorted by Canadian Coast Guards to a harbour in Victoria, where 76 migrants claiming to be Tamil refugees disembarked and were detained.