Singapore/Denpasar: Indonesian police have questioned a group of Chinese nationals allegedly ready to attempt an illegal boat journey to Australia.

The latest experiment in slipping into Australia, though from a rare cohort, was thwarted by a tip-off from the Australian Federal Police and the reluctance of local fishermen to make the journey, according to Patar Silalahi, the crime chief of West Timor Police.

Boats are again a sensitive topic for the Australian government following recent landings in Western Australia and a High Court decision that have spurred attacks from the opposition over border security.

Patar said the group of 15 entered Indonesia with valid visas through the holiday island of Bali, before venturing far from the tourist trail to Kupang City, about 500 kilometres from the northern coastline of Western Australia.

It was there the men were allegedly asking fishermen about how to reach Australia, until they were rounded up by police on Friday and Saturday.

“We received tips from our counterpart, the AFP, about a group of foreigners who might try to make a journey across to Australia,” Patar said. “Our intelligence officers confirmed the information, so we brought in the foreigners for questioning.

“The fishermen, we brought them in for questioning, too. They told the Chinese men it’s illegal to cross to Australia, and the weather is not conducive even if they tried.” The weather reference was about the heavy monsoon conditions that hamper fishing this time of year.

The Chinese men had their Indonesian visas in order and were believed to have returned to Bali on Monday.

“They all have been released,” Patar said. “We can’t arrest people for asking questions.”