Asylum boat reaches NT mainland A small group of asylum seekers decamped from their boat in a virtually uninhabited peninsula in the Northern Territory, and were only discovered a day later at a nearby airstrip. Customs and Border Command reported the incident late on Wednesday. The boat carrying 11 people was first spotted by a Dash-8 surveillance aircraft on Monday, about 109 nautical miles outside Australia's exclusive economic zone. It was spotted again on Tuesday, several nautical miles off Australian land, and authorities sent HMAS Glenelg, which operates under Border Protection Command control, to find the boat. It was discovered at Coburg Peninsula, a rugged section of coves and bays, about 350km east of Darwin. Aerial surveillance showed the passengers had disembarked, and they were found at a nearby airstrip after running into the bush. It is believed the group is Vietnamese. In a statement, Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare said the group was taken onto HMAS Glenelg with the help of Northern Territory Police, and transferred to detention facilities in Darwin. They will undergo initial security, health and identity checks.