Nave Andromeda incident

The Nave Andromeda incident took place on 25 October 2020 in the English Channel just off the coast of the Isle of Wight following the suspected hijacking of the Liberian-flagged crude oil tanker Nave Andromeda. When the stowaways grew violent, concerns were raised for the safety of the ship's 22 crew members and military assistance was sought to bring the incident to a safe end. The maritime special forces unit, the Special Boat Service (SBS), subsequently boarded the vessel and safely detained the stowaways.[1]

Nave Andromeda incident
Time25 October 2020
LocationEnglish Channel, off the coast of the Isle of Wight, United Kingdom
Also known asNave Andromeda hijacking
TypeSuspected maritime hijacking, stowaway incident
Participants
OutcomeSeven stowaways safely detained

Summary

Preceding events

On 5 October 2020, Nave Andromeda, a 228-metre-long (748 ft) crude oil tanker registered in Liberia, departed Lagos, Nigeria en route to Southampton, England. The ship was due to dock in Southampton at 10:30 am and, according to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, was not carrying oil.[2][3] During its voyage, the ship anchored off the coast of the Canary Islands and Saint-Nazaire.[4] The ship's crew and its operator, Navios Tanker Management, became aware of the presence of stowaways, something it was aware of "for some time" during the ship's journey, including when it called into France and Spain.[5][1] Both the French and Spanish authorities, however, denied a request for the ship to berth in order to disembark the stowaways.[6][7]

Incident

On 25 October 2020, whilst the ship was off the coast of the Isle of Wight in the English Channel, the stowaways became violent after the crew had attempted to lock them in a cabin, smashing glass, making threats to life and threatening "to do something with the ship".[8][9] The crew then locked themselves in the ship's citadel in accordance with the ship safety manual Best Management Practice 5th Edition (BMP5).[1] The seven stowaways, who were believed to have accessed the ship via its rudder trunk, were spread across the ship, with two on the bridge and the rest midship.[2][6] When the stowaways surrounded the control room, a mayday call was issued at around 9:00 am, which was responded to at 10:04 am by Hampshire Police with support from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and UK Border Force.[10][6] The authorities did not believe the incident was terror-related or related to weapons of mass destruction (WMD), however the ship's erratic movements raised concern for the welfare of the 22 crew members.[4] An exclusion zone of 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) was declared around the ship, in addition to a no-fly zone below an altitude of 5,000 feet (1,500 m).[11] A stand-off then ensued, with the crew confined to the citadel for approximately 10 hours, whilst the ship was watched closely by police and coastguard helicopters.[12][13] RNLI lifeboats were also dispatched from Selsey and Bembridge.[14] When the ship dropped anchor, despite instructions not to do so, suspicions were raised that control of the ship had been lost to the stowaways.[10]

The ship was photographed as the incident unfolded from a vantage point on Cowleaze Hill near Ventnor on the Isle of Wight by Island Echo - the first news reporters on scene. The photographs were subsequently broadcast across the world and appeared on the front pages of many national newspapers.

A timeline of the incident was published by Island Echo the next day.

Rescue

On the evening of 25 October 2020, Hampshire Police made a formal request for military support to help regain control of the ship.[4] This request had to wait for the approval of the Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace and Home Secretary Priti Patel.[4] When the request was subsequently authorized, 40 military personnel were deployed to the scene via a Chinook helicopter, which included the maritime special forces unit, the Special Boat Service (SBS), based in Poole, Dorset.[15] Additionally, Royal Navy mine clearance divers were also put on standby in case the ship had been mined.[1]

When the night fell, 16 SBS operators boarded the ship, with some fast-roping from two Royal Navy Merlin helicopters and the others rappelling up the side from rigid inflatable boats.[16] They were watched over by snipers in a Wildcat helicopter and the Royal Navy frigate HMS Richmond was also reportedly on standby to assist.[17] The captain of the ship remained in constant communication with the authorities and turned off the ship's lights to allow the helicopters to conduct "obscurant tactics" — shining their lights so as to disorient the stowaways.[11] In just seven minutes, the 10-hour stand-off came to an end, with the stowaways detained and the crew said to be "safe and well".[3] Despite the darkness of the night, the operation was observable from the shores of Ventnor.[18]

The stowaways were arrested by Hampshire Police "on suspicion of seizing or exercising control of a ship by use of threats or force" whilst the crew were questioned by investigators.[19] The motives behind the stowaways are yet to be confirmed but political asylum-seeking is suspected, according to Bob Sanguinetti, chief executive of the UK Chamber of Shipping.[19]

Aftermath

Following the incident, Prime Minister Boris Johnson praised the police and armed forces, stating: "Both police and armed forces did a fantastic job and I thank them very, very much for what they did to keep our shores safe".[20] The Home Secretary Priti Patel stated: "Tonight we are thankful for the quick and decisive action of our police and armed forces who were able to bring this situation under control, guaranteeing the safety of all those on board".[20] The incident highlighted the risks of navigating through the re-emerging piracy hotspot of the Gulf of Guinea.[21][17][22] The operator of the ship, Navios Tanker Management, based in Greece, thanked the UK authorities for their "timely and professional response".[9]

In January 2021, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) dropped its case against the seven stowaways after evidence analysis cast doubt over whether or not the ship and its crew were in danger. The CPS stated that initial reports indicated there was a "real and imminent threat" to the vessel, however evidence — including mobile phone footage and witness accounts — didn't show that the ship or its crew were threatened, nor was there any evidence to suggest the stowaways had any intention to hijack the ship. The stowaways remain detained under immigration regulations.[23]

Similar incidents
  • In 2011, British and U.S. naval forces helped retake control of an Italian cargo ship, named Montecristo, after it had been hijacked by Somali pirates off the coast of Somalia. The British replenishment ship RFA Fort Victoria and the Royal Marines were involved in the operation, alongside a U.S. frigate. No resistance was made and 11 suspected pirates were detained, freeing 23 hostages.[24]
  • In 2018, the Special Boat Service boarded an Italian cargo ship, named The Grande Tema, in the Thames Estuary after it had been hijacked by four Nigerian nationals. The crew of the ship had barricaded themselves in the ship's bridge after the stowaways had threatened them with iron bars and made demands for the ship to be moved closer to the coast. SBS stormed the vessel and safely detained the hijackers.[25]

References
  1. Gardner, Frank (26 October 2020). "Tanker stowaways: 'Hijacking' ends after special forces storm ship". BBC News. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  2. "Isle of Wight: Police ask for military help over stowaways security incident on tanker". Sky News. 26 October 2020. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  3. Hayes, Andy (26 October 2020). "Seven detained after special forces end suspected tanker hijacking off Isle of Wight". Sky News. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  4. Sabbagh, Dan (25 October 2020). "Stowaways held as special forces gain control of oil tanker off Isle of Wight". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  5. Reed, Ed (25 October 2020). "SBS retake tanker off Isle of Wight". Energy Voice. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  6. Michelle Wiese, Bockmann (27 October 2020). "France denied tanker request to disembark stowaways". Lloyd's List. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  7. Humphries, Will (27 October 2020). "France and Spain turned away Nave Andromeda oil tanker carrying stowaways". The Times. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  8. Gardner, Bill (26 October 2020). "Isle of Wight tanker: Special Forces take control of ship after 'hijackers' threaten the crew". The Telegraph. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  9. "Tanker stowaways: Seven men arrested over ship's 'hijacking'". BBC News. 26 October 2020. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  10. Roach, April (25 October 2020). "Isle of Wight: Police request military assistance after stowaways 'threaten' crew of oil tanker". Evening Standard. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  11. Newdick, Thomas (26 October 2020). "This Is The Elite Unit That Raided The Tanker Threatened By Stowaways Off The UK Coast". The Drive. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  12. "The reality of life for seafarers like those crewing the 'hijacked' tanker Nave Andromeda". The Conversation. 27 October 2020. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  13. Cook, Joe (25 October 2020). "Special forces storm tanker to end suspected hijacking off Isle of Wight". LBC News. Global. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  14. "Bembridge RNLI's All-Weather Tamar Lifeboat launched to provide safety cover". RNLI. 25 October 2020. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  15. Humphries, Will (26 October 2020). "Nave Andromeda: Violence erupted after tanker crew said they would return stowaways". The Times. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  16. "Over in minutes: Special Boat Service's 'textbook' raid shows why they have fearsome reputation". Sky News. 26 October 2020. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  17. Fisher, Lucy (26 October 2020). "Nave Andromeda: Special forces storm oil tanker in stowaway drama off Isle of Wight". The Times. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  18. "The Nave Andromeda – involved in stowaway standoff close to the Isle of Wight – now in Southampton". On The Wight. 26 October 2020. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  19. "British forces storm oil tanker after suspected hijack attempt off Isle of Wight". CNN. 26 October 2020. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  20. "Seven stowaways arrested on suspicion of taking control of ship by 'threats or force'". Sky News. 26 October 2020. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  21. Peachey, Paul (26 October 2020). "How Britain's elite Special Boat Service seized stranded oil tanker in nine-minute operation". National News. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  22. Stansall, Ben (26 October 2020). "Seven Held For Attempted Hijacking Off UK Coast". Barron's. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  23. "Isle of Wight oil tanker 'hijacking' case dropped against seven men". BBC News. 9 January 2020. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  24. "UK and US forces 'rescue pirate-held Italian ship'". BBC News. 11 October 2011. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  25. "SBS Commandos Storm Hijacked Cargo Ship". Forces News. BFBS. 22 December 2018. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
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