More than four dozen Haitian migrants were apprehended in the eastern Bahamas on Wednesday morning during a joint exercise by the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF), Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) and immigration authorities.

According to RBDF officials, shortly after 10 a.m., a Haitian sloop was spotted in the area of Bannerman Town, Eleuthera.

When officials arrived on the scene, they embarked on a joint exercise to take into custody the migrants, some of whom had already begun to disperse.

RBDF officials said a search was conducted in the area and more than 50 migrants were apprehended.

The migrants were transported to the capital aboard the HMBS Kamalamee under the command of Senior Lieutenant Valentino Rolle and turned over to immigration officials for further processing.