Tanker ‘Hijacking’: Here’s What We Know About The Isle Of Wight Incident
All 22 crew members of a ship that was subject to a “suspected hijacking” in the English Channel have been confirmed safe, health secretary Matt Hancock has said.
Seven men have been arrested on suspicion of seizing or exercising control of a ship by use of threat or force. They all remain in custody at police stations across Hampshire.
What happened on board?
It is understood that the 228-metre tanker was carrying 42,000 tonnes of crude oil and had been expected to dock in Southampton at 10.30am on Sunday.
Hampshire Police said they were alerted to concerns over the welfare of the crew as the ship was six miles off the coast of Bembridge, having set sail from Lagos, Nigeria.
The vessel is registered in Liberia and operated by Greek shipping firm Folegrandos.
“It was reported that a number of stowaways were on board, and they had made threats towards the crew,” police said.
What was the response?
Armed forces personnel were authorised by home secretary Priti Patel and defence secretary Ben Wallace to board the Nave Andromeda off the Isle of Wight after a tense 10-hour stand-off.
Speaking to Sky News on Monday morning, Hancock said: “I can confirm that the crew are safe and the operation to secure the vessel has concluded successfully.”
The raid was likely to have been carried out by members of the Special Boat Service (SBS), the elite maritime counter-terrorism unit of the Royal Navy. SBS operations are highly classified and not officially confirmed.
According to the MoD, its personnel mostly consist of Royal Marine Commandos who “specialise in daring undercover raids that exploit the element of surprise”.
In a statement, the Ministry of Defence said Armed Forces personnel boarded the ship to “safeguard life and secure a ship that was subject to suspected hijacking”.
“Armed forces have gained control of the ship and seven individuals have been detained,” a spokesperson said.
“Police investigations will now continue. Initial reports confirm the crew...
