View source for Grande Tema incident

{{Short description|Ship stowaway incident in England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Grande Tema'' incident}}
[[File:Car carrier GRANDE TEMA en mer.jpg|300px|thumb|''Grande Tema'' pictured in 2020]]
On 21 December 2018, there was an incident aboard the container ship ''Grande Tema'' in the [[Thames Estuary]]. Four stowaways, who had travelled aboard the vessel from [[Lagos]], [[Nigeria]], demanded to be let off near the British shore. The crew of the [[Grimaldi Group]] ship refused, and when the stowaways made threats, they barricaded themselves on the bridge. The British authorities were alerted, and following failed negotiations, special forces operatives from the [[Special Boat Service]] landed on the vessel and detained the stowaways. The men were later found guilty of [[affray]] and making threats to kill and received prison sentences.

== Incident and resolution ==

''Grande Tema'' is a [[Grimaldi Group]] {{convert|71000|tonne|long ton|adj=on}} [[Roll-on/roll-off#RORO Variations|ConRo ship]].<ref name=express>{{cite news |title=The stowaways who ran amok on a container vessel in 2018 |url=https://www.expressandstar.com/news/uk-news/2020/10/25/the-stowaways-who-ran-amok-on-a-container-vessel-in-2018/ |accessdate=26 October 2020 |work=Express and Star |date=25 October 2020 |language=en}}</ref>  She left [[Tin Can Island Port]] in Lagos, Nigeria, on 10 December 2018, bound for the [[Port of Tilbury]] in the United Kingdom.<ref name=handy>{{cite news |title=Would Be Hijackers of RoRo Container Ship in Thames Estuary Not Technically Pirates |url=https://www.handyshippingguide.com/shipping-news/would-be-hijackers-of-roro-container-ship-in-thames-estuary-not-technically-pirates_9629 |accessdate=26 October 2020 |work=Handy Shipping Guide |date=27 December 2018 |archive-date=29 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029224055/https://www.handyshippingguide.com/shipping-news/would-be-hijackers-of-roro-container-ship-in-thames-estuary-not-technically-pirates_9629 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=guardian>{{cite news |last1=Davies |first1=Caroline |last2=Badshah |first2=Nadeem |last3=Busby |first3=Mattha |title=Margate: special forces rescue 'stowaway-held ship' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/dec/21/four-stowaways-found-on-cargo-ship-off-margate |accessdate=26 October 2020 |work=The Guardian |date=22 December 2018 |language=en}}</ref>  Around 16 December, four male stowaways were discovered by the ship's captain Antonio Raggi in the lower deck ramp area. When discovered, two men were hanging over rails close to the ship's propellers.<ref name=express/> The crew gave the stowaways food, water, and clothing and secured them into a room.<ref name=bbc26-9-19>{{cite news |title=Thames Estuary cargo ship stowaways 'threw urine and faeces' |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-49843804 |accessdate=26 October 2020 |work=BBC News |date=26 September 2019 |archive-date=2 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201102030906/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-49843804 |url-status=live }}</ref>

On 21 December, when ''Grande Tema'' was off [[Ramsgate]] in Kent, the stowaways broke free from the room and armed themselves with metal poles.<ref name=bbc19-11-19>{{cite news |title='Faeces-throwing' Thames Estuary cargo ship stowaways guilty |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-50478651 |accessdate=26 October 2020 |work=BBC News |date=19 November 2019}}</ref> With the vessel some {{convert|7|mi|km}} off Ramsgate, they demanded that the ship be moved closer to the British coast so that they could swim ashore.<ref name=record>{{cite news |last1=Morgan |first1=Joe |last2=McConnell |first2=Ed |title=Ship stowaways threatened sailors with iron bars as part of plan to swim to UK |url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/ship-stowaways-threatened-sailors-iron-21219381 |accessdate=26 October 2020 |work=Daily Record |date=5 January 2020 |language=en |archive-date=29 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029210352/https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/ship-stowaways-threatened-sailors-iron-21219381 |url-status=live }}</ref> Raggi refused their request, and the stowaways made threats to the crew. The 27-man crew barricaded themselves into the bridge and alerted the British authorities.<ref name=bbc19-11-19/><ref name=bbc26-9-19/><ref name=guardian/> The stowaways attacked the windows, threw faeces and urine, and made cut-throat gestures in an attempt to gain access to the bridge. One of the men intentionally cut himself.<ref name=bbc3-1-20>{{cite news |title=Stowaways who caused havoc on container ship in Thames Estuary jailed |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-50988253 |accessdate=26 October 2020 |work=BBC News |date=3 January 2020 |archive-date=29 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029112334/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-50988253 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=bbc19-11-19/><ref name=record/> Raggi feared that the stowaways might have links to the [[Boko Haram]] terrorist group and may have hidden weapons on board the vessel.<ref name=bbc19-11-19/>

Police negotiators made contact with the stowaways.<ref name=bbc26-9-19/><ref name=record/> During the negotiations, the stowaways claimed that there had originally been a fifth member of their group who had fallen overboard.<ref name=bbc26-9-19/> Traffic in the nearby [[English Channel]] was disrupted as a result of the incident, with the vessel sailing in circles in the [[Thames Estuary]] until the situation was resolved.<ref name=express/>

Progress could not be made, and as the stand-off reached 14 hours and with the vessel near [[Margate]], a military intervention was decided.<ref name=bbc19-11-19/><ref name=guardian/> Several [[Special Boat Service]] operatives [[fast-roped]] onto the vessel from [[Royal Navy]] helicopters at around 23:00 and secured it within 25 minutes, with no injuries.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Simpson |first1=John |last2=Willan |first2=Philip |last3=Fisher |first3=Lucy |title=Stowaway gang held on board cargo ship Grande Tema in Thames Estuary |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/stowaway-gang-held-on-board-cargo-ship-grande-tema-in-thames-estuary-cks7rxv7m |accessdate=26 October 2020 |work=The Times |date=22 December 2018 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=SBS Commandos Storm Hijacked Cargo Ship |url=https://www.forces.net/news/sbs-commandos-storm-hijacked-cargo-ship |accessdate=26 October 2020 |work=Forces Network |publisher=British Forces Broadcasting Service |date=22 December 2018 |language=en |archive-date=29 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029152216/https://www.forces.net/news/sbs-commandos-storm-hijacked-cargo-ship |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Thames Estuary cargo ship: Four men charged with affray after crew 'threatened' |url=https://news.sky.com/story/thames-estuary-cargo-ship-four-men-charged-with-affray-after-crew-threatened-11590262 |accessdate=26 October 2020 |work=Sky News |date=23 December 2018 |language=en |archive-date=31 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031160805/https://news.sky.com/story/thames-estuary-cargo-ship-four-men-charged-with-affray-after-crew-threatened-11590262 |url-status=live }}</ref> The British had asked Raggi to turn off his ship's lights at the start of the operation to hinder the stowaways.<ref name=handy/><ref name=guardian/> The ship was sailed to Tilbury, arriving at 04:20, where the four stowaways were arrested by [[Essex Police]] on immigration charges.<ref name=guardian/>

== Aftermath ==

The four stowaways, Samuel Jolumi, 27, Ishola Sunday, 28, Toheeb Popoola, 27, and Joberto McGee, 21, originating from Nigeria and Liberia, were tried at the [[Old Bailey]] in London in September 2019.<ref name=express/><ref name=bbc3-1-20/><ref name=bbc19-11-19/> All four were charged with [[affray]] and attempting to hijack a vessel. In addition, McGee, described as the ringleader, was charged with two counts of making a threat to kill, and Popoola was charged with one count of that offence.<ref name=bbc19-11-19/> In mitigation, McGee claimed he had to flee West Africa to avoid being forced to join a gang, while the others cited desperation and impulsivity.<ref name=bbc3-1-20/> The presiding judge praised the "fortitude and good sense" of Italian captain Antonio Raggi during the incident.<ref name=bbc3-1-20/>

In November, all four men were cleared of the hijack charges but found guilty of the remainder.<ref name=bbc3-1-20/> The four were sentenced on 3 January 2020, with McGee receiving 32 months' imprisonment, Popoola 31 months, and the other two men 16 months. The men faced a Home Office investigation into their immigration status.<ref name=bbc19-11-19/><ref name=bbc3-1-20/>

== See also ==
*[[Nave Andromeda incident|''Nave Andromeda'' incident]], a similar occurrence aboard a tanker near the Isle of Wight in 2020. It was also resolved by intervention from the Special Boat Service.

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{2018 shipwrecks}}

[[Category:2018 in international relations]]
[[Category:2018 in Nigeria]]
[[Category:2010s in Essex]]
[[Category:2010s in Kent]]
[[Category:2010s trials]]
[[Category:Amphibious operations involving the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:December 2018 crimes in Europe]]
[[Category:December 2018 events in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 2018]]
[[Category:Special Boat Service operations]]
[[Category:Non-combat military operations involving the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Trials in London]]