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Thames Estuary cargo ship stowaways detained | Thames Estuary cargo ship stowaways detained |
(about 11 hours later) | |
Four stowaways found on a cargo ship in the Thames Estuary have been detained after the vessel's crew was threatened. | Four stowaways found on a cargo ship in the Thames Estuary have been detained after the vessel's crew was threatened. |
The Grande Tema's crew had to lock themselves in the vessel's bridge for safety, a spokesman said. | The Grande Tema's crew had to lock themselves in the vessel's bridge for safety, a spokesman said. |
Essex Police said the vessel was boarded and secured shortly after 23:00 GMT on Friday - almost 14 hours after the force was first called. | Essex Police said the vessel was boarded and secured shortly after 23:00 GMT on Friday - almost 14 hours after the force was first called. |
Four men who were on the ship have been held under the Immigration Act, the force added. | |
A police spokesman said they would be handed over to UK Border Force. | |
The stowaways had demanded to be taken to the coast, according to the ship's owner. | |
Police previously said the situation was not being treated as a hostage, piracy or terror-related issue. | Police previously said the situation was not being treated as a hostage, piracy or terror-related issue. |
GPS trackers showed the 71,000-tonne ship sailing in circles in the Thames Estuary. It had set off from Lagos, Nigeria, on 10 December. It docked at Tilbury just before 04.30 GMT. | |
Grimaldi Group, which owns the vessel, said the four stowaways were discovered on board four days ago. | Grimaldi Group, which owns the vessel, said the four stowaways were discovered on board four days ago. |
They were put under surveillance in a cabin but escaped earlier and made threats to the ship's master as the vessel approached Tilbury, urging him to get close to the coast. | They were put under surveillance in a cabin but escaped earlier and made threats to the ship's master as the vessel approached Tilbury, urging him to get close to the coast. |
Grimaldi spokesman Paul Kyprianou said: "The vessel was coming from Nigeria and was bound to Tilbury and those four stowaways were in the cabin. | Grimaldi spokesman Paul Kyprianou said: "The vessel was coming from Nigeria and was bound to Tilbury and those four stowaways were in the cabin. |
"Today they managed to escape from the cabin and they started threatening the crew, requesting the master of the vessel [navigate] very close to the coast. | "Today they managed to escape from the cabin and they started threatening the crew, requesting the master of the vessel [navigate] very close to the coast. |
"That request was probably because they wanted to jump and reach the British coast." | "That request was probably because they wanted to jump and reach the British coast." |
He said the crew had locked themselves in the command area of the vessel. | He said the crew had locked themselves in the command area of the vessel. |
Mr Kyprianou added: "It's a small group but obviously you can understand it would be scary." | Mr Kyprianou added: "It's a small group but obviously you can understand it would be scary." |