At 10:04 on the 25th local time (18:04 on the 25th, Beijing time), an oil tanker named The Nave Andromeda was suspected of being hijacked near the Isle of Wight in southern England. After receiving the police request.
British Special Forces dispatched a helicopter to launch a surprise attack and successfully boarded the tanker on the same day to complete the rescue. It is reported that seven smugglers suspected of attempting to hijack the tanker have been detained by the British side.
According to a report by the Financial Times on the 25th, the British Ministry of Defence said that after receiving a police request, the country’s Defense Minister Ben Wallace and Home Secretary Priti Patel immediately authorized the British armed forces to board.
This searched the tanker suspected of being hijacked to “ensure the safety of personnel on board the tanker.”
A person familiar with the matter disclosed that the rescue operation was carried out by a special forces unit affiliated with the Royal Navy: Special Boat Service.
The British Ministry of Defence issued a statement after the rescue operation was completed, saying: “The armed forces have taken control of the ship and seven people involved have been detained. The police are currently investigating the matter further, and a preliminary report confirms that the crew is safe and sound.”
Defense Secretary Wallace tweeted praised the armed forces and the police for their efforts to protect lives and ship safety, “The sky is dark and the weather is very bad. We should all thank our brave armed forces and the people who are safe tonight.
Thanks to their efforts.” At the same time, the Secretary of the Interior Patel also praised the police and armed forces for their “swift and decisive action”.
British police pointed out that the tanker, which can carry 500,000 barrels of crude oil or refined products, was attacked about 6 miles (9.6 kilometers) from the coast of the Isle of Wight. A British police spokesperson said: The hijacker made verbal threats to the crew, but fortunately no one was injured.
The management company that operated the tanker on behalf of the owner stated that the captain of the ship had notified the British government that seven stowaways were found on board while departing from Lagos, Nigeria, and requested the British government to intervene. Data provided by the vessel tracking service showed that the tanker “Nave Andromeda” left Lagos on October 4.
The description of the incident by the shipping party and the head of the maritime security company is not as thrilling as the British government.
John Thompson, the head of the maritime safety company, said bluntly: “The stowaways are a bit rude to the crew” and emphasized that his company has successfully helped the shipping company of the tanker to get in touch with the British government.
“Financial Times” published an article that although piracy is common in the Gulf of Aden and West African waters, ship safety-related incidents in British waters are extremely rare.
