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– The armed forces have taken control of the ship and seven people have been arrested. This was confirmed by the British Defense Ministry in a statement on Sunday night.
British Army Special Forces boarded the tanker “Nave Andromeda” after the Greek-operated vessel failed to dock this morning.
According to the police, the blind passengers must have verbally threatened the tanker’s crew. Nobody was hurt.
It is not yet known where the stowaways came from or what they wanted with the ship. The police are investigating the case.
British police cooperated with the Coast Guard and border police during the operation.
Data from marinetraffic.com shows that the tanker has followed a zigzag course since this morning. off the Isle of Wight, an island in the English Channel.
SEEN FROM LAND: The tanker can be seen from the Isle of Wight. The tanker carried out a series of maneuvers off the Isle of Wight, where it was supposed to be at the dock this morning, data from marinetraffic.com shows.
Refuse kidnapping
According to Sky News, blind passengers were discovered aboard the 228-meter-long tanker during the day.
The editor of the shipping newspaper Lloyd’s List tells Sky News that the crew on board have tried to lock the blind passengers inside a cabin. Then there must have been a commotion. The information has not been confirmed by official sources.
The law firm representing the owner of the tanker denies that it was a hijacking, according to the BBC.
Neither the police nor other authorities have commented on this information.
A five-nautical-mile safety zone has been established around the ship, according to authorities.
Data from marinetraffic.com shows how the tanker has followed a zigzag course since this morning.
Transports crude oil
According to the local Island Echo newspaper, which describes the stowaways as “pirates,” the crew sought refuge on board.
Due to the danger from pirates off the coast of Africa, all tankers and cargo ships have established routines for how the crew can get to safety in an attempt to board.
The tanker is carrying 42,000 tons of crude. According to data from the marinetraffic.com website, the ship set sail from Lagos in Nigeria on October 5 and has been at sea ever since.
The tanker is registered in Libya, but is operated by the Greek shipping company Folegrandos.
It should have docked in Southampton, England, on Sunday morning.
According to Reuters, which cites British police, there is an ongoing incident aboard the ship “Nave Andromeda” off the coast of the Isle of Wight, an island off the southern coast of England.
