Thai-flagged MV Sun Sea was intercepted by Canadian authorities when it arrived in Canada’s Pacific coast province of British Columbia on Friday (13 Aug).

The Canada Border Services Agency will take the time necessary to identify and process all individuals who were on the ship in accordance with Canadian law, Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said.

He pledged that any individuals who endanger national security or who have engaged in human smuggling “will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”

According to Canadian media reports those on board will be fingerprinted, photographed and screened for criminality. The examination is expected to take up to 72 hours because there are usually difficulties in confirming identities, the official said.

At least 450 migrants from Sri Lanka were on board the ship and officials confirmed one refugee has died and buried at sea last month.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police Const. Michael McLaughlin confirmed a 37-year-old Sri Lankan man died of an illness, and there was nothing to indicate criminal action. McLaughlin said the man’s name will not be released.

Toews said the vessel was extensively renovated so that it could carry as many people as possible. He called it the work of a sophisticated criminal network — likely the Tamil Tigers — an organization Canada labeled a terrorist group in 2006.

Canadian government officials said the boat was very cramped but the migrants arrived in good condition. The government initially said there were about 490 people onboard. By Saturday afternoon, more than 350 men, 50 women and 50 children had been processed.

Canada has been suspicious about the ship and its passengers, fearing that rather than threatened families they were victims of a human smuggling ring.

Speaking to reporters in Esquimalt, B.C., Toews said the Canadian government “must ensure that our refugee system is not hijacked by criminals or terrorists.”

Canadian officials say they are trying to determine whether any of the people on the vessel are members of the Tigers.

The Canadian minister said the government will consider whether “further improvements” are needed to disrupt and deter criminal organizations and enterprises such as human smuggling, but gave no further details.

The Canadian government said it believes some of the migrants are members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, outlawed in Canada as a terrorist group since 2006.