ATHENS — All crew members of the Liberia-flagged and Greek-operated tanker "Nave Andromeda" – among them five Greeks – are safe and well, the Greek shipping ministry announced on Monday. The tanker was raided by British special forces after seven stowaways on board the vessel threatened the crew, in a bid to be put ashore on UK territory.

The Greek Shipping Ministry contacted British authorities after the incident and was informed that the entire crew was well. No additional details have been released, however.

According to sources, the tanker had departed from Nigeria loaded with approximately 42,000 tons of oil. It was sailing off the island of Wight in the Εnglish Channel when boarded and security forces have placed a five-nautical-mile exclusion zone around the vessel.

Andromeda was due to dock at Southampton on Monday morning.

UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock told SKY network that the crew was safe and that the police and special forces had done an exemplary job.