BBC News
Published
image captionThe Liberia-flagged oil tanker Nave Andromeda docked at Southampton after the incident
Seven men, including two who had already been charged, will face no action over a suspected hijacking of an oil tanker off the Isle of Wight.
Special forces stormed the Nave Andromeda on 25 October after the crew raised concerns about stowaways.
Matthew Okorie, 25, and Sunday Sylvester, 22, had been charged with conduct endangering ships.
But prosecutors dropped their case after evidence analysis cast doubt on whether the tanker was put in danger.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said initial reports had indicated there was a real and imminent threat to the vessel, but added mobile phone footage and witness accounts could not show that the ship or crew were threatened and there was no evidence the men had any intention to seize control of the vessel.
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