Quang Ninh, Oct. 21 (VNA) - The People's Committee of northern Quang Ninh province seized on Wednesday a ship from Hong Kong which was illegally entering the Ba Mun national forest in Van Don island district on Oct. 8.

The ship, steered by UK citizen Ching Alastair Peter Alexander, was detected and held by local police after his entry.

In Ching's words, he is a teacher and a freelance writer, and his visit was aimed to study the way taken by Vietnamese boat people while illegally fleeing from their native country. He sold a motor-boat that he brought together with him from Hong Kong at a price of 15 million Vietnamese dong here.

Apart from a passport granted by the UK Government in 1995, Ching has no other identity papers.

On Wednesday afternoon, Ching was returned to Hong Kong.