British special forces boarded and regained control of an oil tanker in the English Channel late Sunday after authorities reported it had been hijacked. They detained seven suspects without any deaths.
All crew were safe and unharmed, according to the UK Ministry of Defense. The Nave Andromeda was sailing through the English Channel off the coast of the Isle of Wight when it was intercepted by the Special Boat Service and Her Majesty's Coastguard.
"Armed forces have gained control of the ship and seven individuals have been detained. Police investigations will now continue. Initial reports confirm the crew is safe and well," the defense ministry said in a statement.
Police said they received reports stowaways had taken control of the ship. Operators of the vessel contacted authorities and said they were worried for the welfare of the crew.
Isle of Wight Consrvative member of parliament Bob Seely told Sky News on Sunday he believed the stowaways had taken control of the vessel.
Following the raid, authorities placed a three-mile radius "exclusion zone" around the tanker. News teams and other vessels were barred. At least two coastguard helicopters patrolled the perimeter.
News reports said the 750-foot vessel was registered in Liberia. Marine traffic information showed the tanker departed Lagos, Nigeria on Oct. 6 and was set to dock in Southampton, England on Sunday. The ship was reportedly sailing in a "zigzag" pattern - which authorities think was the crew's way of alerting authorities to the hijacking.
Details of the hijackers' demands or motives are not clear. The head of the UK Chamber of Shipping, Bob Sanguinetti, said it was still trying to determine the motives. He said it might be that the stowaways were seeking political asylum.
The identities of the alleged hijackers and the crew haven't been disclosed. The owners of the vessel haven't made any statement.
