British special forces seized control of an oil tanker from stowaways in only nine minutes after fast-roping down from helicopters under the cover of darkness, it emerged on Monday.
A 16-strong team from the Special Boat Service overwhelmed a group of seven stowaways who threatened the crew of the Nave Andromeda during its approach to a refinery on the south coast of England.
The commandos descending from helicopters were supported by colleagues, who climbed the side of the tanker on ropes from small boats, experts said.
Police were alerted at about 10am on Sunday after the stowaways made threats to the crew. The seven are believed to have boarded at Lagos, Nigeria, amid speculation they planned to seek asylum in the UK.
The 228-metre tanker spent the day at the centre of a five-kilometre exclusion zone in the English Channel off the southern coast of the Isle of Wight.
Nave Andromeda crew members tried to lock the stowaways inside the ship's cabin, and were reportedly met with threats to kill. The captain then issued a desperate Mayday call to the mainland appealing for assistance amid concerns he might lose control of the vessel.
He reportedly said he feared for his life, and told an operator: “I’m trying to keep them calm but please send help.”
Special forces moved in once darkness fell at 7pm and, after a day of preparation, carried out the mission successfully. “All 22 crew members are safe and well,” Hampshire police said.
The operator paid tribute to the unidentified master of the ship for his “exemplary response and calmness and to all the crew for their fortitude in a difficult situation”.
The swift operation was the latest successful mission for the SBS, a secretive unit that takes on terrorism and other dangerous missions at sea. Four helicopters, thought to include two Merlins and a Wildcat, were reportedly involved.
“The SBS commandos would be roped on board, covered by the Wildcats and personnel in the helicopters,” Christopher Parry, a maritime risk expert, told Sky News. “They would immediately make sure the crew is safe and then secure the stowaways wherever they are in the ship.”
The SBS was involved in a similar operation in 2018 when four stowaways from Nigeria and Liberia threatened the crew of a container ship before they were detained in an operation in the Thames Estuary.
The unit is based in Poole, Dorset, about 60 kilometres from Southampton where the tanker eventually berthed in the early hours of Monday, according to shipping website MarineTraffic.com.
“The stowaways chose completely the wrong place – or the right place for us – to take their action,” Rear Admiral Alex Burton, former commander of the UK Maritime Forces, told the BBC. “It was right by the Royal Navy’s primary naval base and within 50 miles of the Special Boat Services headquarters.
“It’s an area that both services know particularly well – it’s just what they train for. Thankfully, this appears to be no more serious than stowaways, but nobody was to know that.”
The unit was founded during the Second World War and has responsibility for protecting ports, cruise ships and oil platforms with a speciality of freeing hostages. In 1972, SBS members parachuted into the Atlantic Ocean to board the Queen Elizabeth II liner after a bomb scare, according to the National Army Museum.
The SBS was involved in operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, where it helped prepare for troops to land and to protect oilfields. It has also helped with anti-drug smuggling operations at sea.
The raid on Sunday was authorised by Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Interior Minister Priti Patel.
The seven stowaways were handed over to Hampshire police after the operation.
“In response to a police request, the Defence Secretary and Home Secretary authorised Armed Forces personnel to board a ship in the English Channel to safeguard life and secure a ship that was subject to suspected hijacking,” the Ministry of Defence said.
“Armed forces have gained control of the ship and seven individuals have been detained. Police investigations will now continue.”
Mr Wallace said: “In dark skies and worsening weather, we should all be grateful for our brave personnel. People are safe tonight thanks to their efforts.”
Shipping and seafarers’ organisations welcomed the swift end to the stand-off in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
The Greece-based operator, Navios Tanker Management, said it wanted to thank those involved “in this operation for their timely and professional response”.
Maritime strategist Eric Grove told Sky News said that seven stowaways had come from West Africa, which was seen as a new centre of piracy in the world.
More on Quran memorisation:
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
- Max Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old
- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
- Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old
- Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
16 years, 68 days old
Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
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Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
UAE’s revised Cricket World Cup League Two schedule
August, 2021: Host - United States; Teams - UAE, United States and Scotland
Between September and November, 2021 (dates TBC): Host - Namibia; Teams - Namibia, Oman, UAE
December, 2021: Host - UAE; Teams - UAE, Namibia, Oman
February, 2022: Hosts - Nepal; Teams - UAE, Nepal, PNG
June, 2022: Hosts - Scotland; Teams - UAE, United States, Scotland
September, 2022: Hosts - PNG; Teams - UAE, PNG, Nepal
February, 2023: Hosts - UAE; Teams - UAE, PNG, Nepal
The biog
Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia
Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins
Favourite dish: Grilled fish
Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
Barbie
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SNAPSHOT
While Huawei did launch the first smartphone with a 50MP image sensor in its P40 series in 2020, Oppo in 2014 introduced the Find 7, which was capable of taking 50MP images: this was done using a combination of a 13MP sensor and software that resulted in shots seemingly taken from a 50MP camera.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
