Channel Stowaways ....

[Clarets4me]

Dramatic developments in the English Channel last night, when the captain of the Oil Tanker, " Nave Andromeda " issued an SOS after a group of 7 Nigerian " Stowaways " turned violent, and made death threats to the crew ... After 10 hours talking to trained negotiators, the situation was resolved when 16 members of the Special Boat Service boarded the ship, with military helicopter support. The whole action took 9 minutes with all 7 surrendering,( I bet they did !! ) and the crew emerging from their " safe room " unharmed.

I suspect these " Stowaways " can count themselves extremely fortunate, as I can think of several Countries Special forces whose involvement would have produced a very different outcome ....

[claretonthecoast1882]

Those big brave boys making death threats to people then filling their pants when confronted by someone a little bit harder.

[Wile E Coyote]

if someone had written a fictitious book about this sort of incident, and called the captain "Nave Andromeda" the rejection slip would be issued immediately from any publishing house.

[Firthy]

And the outcome will be that they'll be brought to and eventually released into our country. The only way to deal with them is to ship all stowaways and illegals crossing the channel back to France or the country they came from.

[ClaretDiver]

if someone had written a fictitious book about this sort of incident, and called the captain "Nave Andromeda" the rejection slip would be issued immediately from any publishing house.

The tanker was called the Nave Andromeda, not the captain

[Foreverly Claret]

Something very strange about this .The ship left Lagos on 5th October...when were these stowaways discovered ? presumably somebody fed them during the 3 week voyage and they didn't cause any trouble... then supposedly they " cut up rough "...were they armed ? 22 v 7 doesn't look particularly good odds from their point of view if they weren't .Looking forward to the FULL story.

[Bordeauxclaret]

I’d guess they’d have to feed them once discovered to stop them causing trouble in the middle of nowhere.

[LeadBelly]

This ship didnt go into port after leaving Nigeria but evidently was anchored twice- off the coasts of Canary Islands and then Brittany. Papers are generally reporting (maybe just assuming) that the troublemakers are Nigerians.

There was a predictable outcome to the incident given it was virtually in the back yard of the SBS.

I guess these "stowaways" will be being interviewed very promptly re where they're from/how boarded/ their intentions.

One of the reports has suggested that the crew found out about the stowaways a while ago but tolerated them until they created some trouble.

[CrosspoolClarets]

Good to see the Special Boat Service get some match practice.

Not sure about the decision making of staging a hijack just 10 miles away from the garrison of the world’s most effective naval fighting force. Made me chuckle, once I read that nobody was hurt.

[Spijed]

Good to see the Special Boat Service get some match practice.

Not sure about the decision making of staging a hijack just 10 miles away from the garrison of the world’s most effective naval fighting force. Made me chuckle, once I read that nobody was hurt.

Although the Americans would have you believe the Navy Seals are better - "Best of the Best"

[CrosspoolClarets]

Although the Americans would have you believe the Navy Seals are better - "Best of the Best"

I used to know someone in the SBS - they used to laugh at the American’s bravado, very confident they were the best, not sure if it still applies after austerity.

[AndrewJB]

Stowaways are a major problem all over the world. Especially for ships leaving port at night.

[Bigbopper]

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[conyoviejo]

They will all be in a 5 star hotel now living the life of luxury.

[Stayingup]

And the outcome will be that they'll be brought to and eventually released into our country. The only way to deal with them is to ship all stowaways and illegals crossing the channel back to France or the country they came from.

Not that easy and its costly. They come with no identification papers, so as not to disclose their nationality. So technically they can't be deported. These didn't cross the channel as it appears they stowed away in Lagos, which was the ships embarkation Port