Seven men seized by UK special forces after a suspected hijacking of an oil tanker will face no further criminal action.
The SBS raid made headlines in October after they boarded the vessel near the Isle of Wight and detained the group in minutes, following a 10-hour stand-off.
Two of the men, Sunday Sylvester, 22, and Matthew John Okorie, 25, had previously been charged with an offence relating to endangering ships and were due to appear in court this month. Image: Special Boat Service personnel fast-roped from a Merlin - a technique shown here by a Royal Marine. Pic: Royal Navy/Barry Swainsbury
Two men charged over Nave Andromeda hijack incident December 30, 2020, by Jasmina Ovcina
Two men were charged and appeared in court over the weekend as part of the ongoing investigation into the maritime security incident that took place on board the Nave Andromeda off the coast of the Isle of Wight on October 25.
Specifically, seven stowaways reportedly hijacked the vessel in the English Channel and threatened the crew who retreated into the ship’s citadel for safety reasons.
The vessel was taken over by the UK Armed Forces following a request from the police on the same evening. Having gained control of the vessel, the armed forces detained seven individuals. The crew members were reported to be safe and well.
Two Nigerians Charged In UK Court Over Attempt To Hijack Oil Tanker
Okorie, 25 and Sylvester, 22, were alleged to have endangered the Nave Andromeda with both appearing at Southampton Magistrates Court on Saturday.
by SaharaReporters, New York
Dec 28, 2020
Two Nigerian men, Matthew Okorie and Sunday Sylvester, have been charged to court over alleged attempts to hijack an oil tanker in the English Channel in the UK.
Okorie, 25 and Sylvester, 22, were alleged to have endangered the Nave Andromeda with both appearing at Southampton Magistrates Court on Saturday.
They were part of a group of seven Nigerian men who were arrested after being discovered on board the huge oil tanker on October 25.