Posted on 10/26/2020 7:11:23 AM PDT by BenLurkin
LONDON — British marine police and special forces, in fast boats and helicopters, stormed aboard an oil tanker in the English Channel and arrested seven stowaways who had threatened the crew, authorities said Monday.
The Liberia-flagged vessel Nave Andromeda was scheduled to dock Sunday at the port of Southampton on England’s southern coast when reports emerged that the 748-foot vessel was steering erratically out in the channel, one of the most heavily trafficked waterways in the world.
The Defense Ministry initially called the incident a “suspected hijacking.” Later reports said the seven stowaways, believed to be Nigerians seeking asylum in Britain, became threatening when they were ordered into a locked cabin.
British special forces responded to a request for help from police on Sunday evening. “Armed forces have gained control of the ship and seven individuals have been detained. Police investigations will now continue. Initial reports confirm the crew are safe and well,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
According to police, the crew took shelter in a secure area aboard the ship called the “citadel.” The master of the ship remained on the bridge, the BBC reported.
The Hampshire police, in a statement, said the incident began Sunday morning, when “concerns were raised to police for the welfare of crew on board the vessel,” just six miles off the Isle of Wight.
“The vessel had been traveling in the direction of Southampton, having sailed from Lagos in Nigeria. It was reported that a number of stowaways were on board, and they had made threats towards the crew,” police said. “Following a multi-agency response by police, with support from the military and other emergency service partners, seven people were detained by police.”
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Remember when Jean Respail was forced to retract his prophesies?
> The Liberia-flagged vessel Nave Andromeda... <
Part of me wishes the Brits would have told the ship’s owner “Since you registered your ship in Liberia, don’t bother us. Ask the Liberian Navy for help.”
Yeah, good one.
Exactly what kind of security measures do they have that these jerks were able to stow away? Perhaps next time it will be terrorists with equipment that will enable them to use the oil and explosives to destroy a port.
And the hijackers win.
They’ll get into the UK where they can live comfortably at British taxpayer expense for the rest of their lives.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.