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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/dec/21/four-stowaways-found-on-cargo-ship-off-margate
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| Margate: police rescue 'stowaway-held ship' and detain four men | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Police have rescued a ship that had been stuck for hours in the Thames estuary after stowaways had allegedly threatened its crew. | |
| Essex police said four men have been detained under the Immigration Act after they had initially been called on Friday morning. | |
| The incident is understood to have involved an Italian vessel, the Grande Tema, which left Lagos, Nigeria, on Monday and was off the coast of Margate when the men were discovered stowed away on the 236-metre long cargo ship. | |
| No-one aboard the vessel was injured. Officers boarded the vessel at around 11pm and detained the four stowaways. The Sun reported that special forces from the navy had lead the operation to retake it. | |
| The Special Boat Service (SBS) operatives fast-roped from helicopters on to the ship in an operation lasting around 25 minutes, according to Sky News. | |
| In a statement, Essex police said: “We have now secured a vessel in the Thames Estuary. Four men have been detained under the Immigration Act. The vessel was boarded and secured shortly after 11pm on Friday 21 December and will now be brought back safely into dock at the port of Tilbury.” | |
| Earlier Paul Kyprianou, a spokesman for Grimaldi Lines, which operates the vessel, said: “The crew found four stowaways four days ago when the vessel was in navigation bound for Tilbury. They were put in a cabin. They were locked in there. They were given accommodation and food as is required under international regulations. | |
| “This morning they managed to force the door and they got some iron bars and they started threatening the crew, by requesting the master to get close to the shore. And what we understand is that they wanted to jump and reach the coast of the UK. | “This morning they managed to force the door and they got some iron bars and they started threatening the crew, by requesting the master to get close to the shore. And what we understand is that they wanted to jump and reach the coast of the UK. |
| “The crew are now locked in the bridge. The vessel is under control. But you have four stowaways who are hanging around with some iron bars. There’s been no violence, no clashes, no injuries. The master is in contact with the Essex police and we are expecting the police to board the vessel and neutralise the stowaways on board. | “The crew are now locked in the bridge. The vessel is under control. But you have four stowaways who are hanging around with some iron bars. There’s been no violence, no clashes, no injuries. The master is in contact with the Essex police and we are expecting the police to board the vessel and neutralise the stowaways on board. |
| “This has already been at least ten hours now. The crew are fine.” | |
| Essex | Essex |
| Water transport | Water transport |
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