Seven suspects were arrested this Sunday evening by the British armed forces who "
took back control
" of an oil tanker in the south of England.
The crew had been threatened by stowaways on board, the Defense Ministry said.
This intervention of the army thus put an end to a crisis situation which had started about ten hours previously off the Isle of Wight.
Read also: Incident in progress on an oil tanker in the south of England
“
In response to a request from the police, the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of the Interior have authorized members of the armed forces to board a ship in the English Channel to ensure the safety of lives and a ship which was the subject of a suspicion of piracy
”, tweeted the Ministry of Defense.
"
The armed forces have regained control of the boat and seven people have been arrested
", according to the same source, adding that according to the first elements available, the crew is "
safe and sound
".
“
Police investigations will now continue,
” the Defense Ministry tweeted.
Stowaways
According to Hampshire Police, law enforcement was alerted on Sunday morning to the worrying situation of the crew of the tanker Nave Andromeda, which was about six miles from the Isle of Wight (southern England) .
It was reported to the police that illegal immigrants on board the vessel made "
verbal threats
" against the crew.
No injuries were reported, according to the same source.
According to Defense Minister Ben Wallace, the operation took place "
under a dark sky and deteriorating weather
", saluting the courage of the personnel who intervened.
“
People are safe tonight because of their efforts,
” he tweeted.
Interior Minister Priti Patel hailed in a tweet the “
swift and decisive action of our police and our armed forces who were able to regain control of the situation, ensuring the safety of all those on board
” .
The firm Tatham & Co, representing the owners of the ship, assured the BBC to "
100%
" that it is not about an attempt of piracy, mentioned by certain media.
According to the BBC, citing a source close to the shipping company, the stowaways, whose presence on board had been known for a while, became violent towards the crew, who locked themselves in the "
citadel
" from the ship to take cover.
The coast guards, who have mobilized two helicopters, are helping the police, a spokeswoman said.
Local Isle of Wight Radio initially reported on a possible piracy attempt aboard the 228-meter Liberian-registered vessel carrying 42,000 tonnes of crude oil.
According to the Sky News channel, the boat, which left Nigeria in early October, was due to dock in Southampton on Sunday morning.