A recent stowaway incident has raised the profile of the stowaway problem within the maritime sector, highlighting the need for professional and official stowaway searches. The Nave Andromeda was docked in Southampton where seven people were arrested on suspicion of seizing control of the oil tanker. According to the BBC: “The men were detained when military forces stormed the Nave Andromeda which was thought to have been hijacked off the Isle of Wight on Sunday night. Sixteen members of the Special Boat Service (SBS) ended a 10-hour stand-off which started when stowaways on board the ship reportedly became violent.”
The ship had been illegally boarded by seven people believed to be Nigerian, in Lagos Nigeria. The stowaways became known to the crew whilst just off the Isle of Wight and were detained on suspicion of seeking asylum in the UK.
Castor Vali provides professional and official searches which include K9 sniffer dogs, stowaway search detection and drug and weapon searches. If this is of interest to you, please contact us for more information; info@castorvali.com.
The Castor Vali Group offers a wide range of services to assist organisations whist operating in high risk waters. A select handful of our services are listed below, however please do visit our website to understand our full range.
- We support all vessel types with Vessel hardening vulnerability assessments
- Provision of security escort vehicles
- Crew training tailored to the environment, now available in person or remotely
- Provision of timely and accurate security information direct by email on key incidents and events. This service is provided free of charge. Sign up here.