Seven people were arrested after military forces stormed an oil tanker off the Isle of Wight following an alleged hijacking by stowaways
The Times reported on Sunday that four military helicopters – which allegedly included two Merlin Mk 4s, a Wildcat and a Chinook – took 40 people to the scene of the alleged hijacking aboard the Nave Andromeda
The newspaper quoted a defense source as saying that around 16 members of the Special Boat Service (SBS) boarded the ship supported by airborne snipers and secured it within nine minutes
He mainly recruits Royal Marines, part of the army already considered an elite force
According to the Ministry of Defense (MoD), the SBS « specializes in daring infiltration raids that exploit the element of surprise »
Due to the secretive nature of the forces, we do not know their size and the Defense Ministry refuses to share details of its operations
The SBS is based in Poole, Dorset, very close to where the tanker incident happened on Sunday
Although closely aligned with another elite force – the Special Air Service (SAS) – the lower public profile of the SBS allows for more covert operations The SBS also goes through additional training to be able to lead in maritime environments
SBS operations are highly classified and are not officially confirmed, but when stowaways rampaged over a freighter in the Thames Estuary in December 2018, the ship’s operator said they had been arrested after SBS personnel were airlifted to the ship
In 2012, it was also reported that the SBS had failed in its operation to rescue British hostage Christopher McManus and his Italian colleague Franco Lamolinara when they were taken hostage in Nigeria
Military special forces have arrested seven stowaways following a maritime incident off the coast of the Isle of Wight in which the crew of an oil tanker were threatened with violence
The operation to board the Liberian-registered oil tanker Nave Andromeda involved six helicopters and a team from the Special Boat Service, after police requested military assistance
The stowaways were arrested after being encountered by an « overwhelming force », it was reported Officials said the tanker’s crew were safe after taking refuge in the ship’s citadel or in the safe room A three-mile exclusion zone had been set up around the ship
The Defense Ministry confirmed that the armed forces had boarded the 228-meter vessel and taken control of the situation, which unfolded throughout Sunday after a Mayday alert was issued. first launched around 9 a.m. The incident was a « suspected hijack, » Defense Ministry said
SBS, Isle of Wight, stowaway, Nave Andromeda
News from around the world – GB – Special boat service explained in the heart of the Isle of Wight ‘hijack’
