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LEADING ARTICLE

The Times view on storming the Nave Andromeda: Security at Sea

The naval operation against a vessel in British waters carrying stowaways was completely justified. There must be a deterrent to illegal entry and hijacking

The Times

A group of stowaways found on board a ship bound for Southampton would normally raise an issue of attempted illegal migration. The case of the Nave Andromeda, an oil tanker that was stormed by special forces on Sunday off the coast of the Isle of Wight, is far more serious. The threat by the stowaways to the ship’s crew was close to hijacking, and a rapid naval operation to take control of the ship was justified and necessary.

The police are investigating to determine whether the stowaways should face criminal charges. They assuredly ought to even though, as no one suffered injury and the crew were apparently aware of the stowaways’ presence, potential charges are limited. There needs to be a deterrent both to