30-Year-Old Sudanese Man Arrested After  Trying to Steal a Fishing Boat in Kent, But You Won’t Believe What He Wanted to Do With It

A 30-year-old Sudanese man has been arrested after allegedly trying to steal a fishing boat from a harbour in Kent and take it across the English Channel to France. According to the boat’s owner, the man wanted to travel to France to collect his family, but his actions left the crew frightened and caused damage that could cost thousands of pounds to repair.

The unusual incident happened in the early hours of Tuesday, November 3, at Royal Harbour in Ramsgate, Kent. The fishing boat, called Carousel, was moored at the harbour while its crew members were sleeping in their bunks after working at sea.

According to the skipper, Olly Swift, the man somehow managed to get onto the vessel without permission. He then entered the operating area, started the engine and attempted to move the boat away from the harbour.

However, things quickly became dangerous when he reportedly pushed the engine to full power without understanding how to operate the vessel properly.

The sudden force caused the ropes holding the boat in place to snap, leaving the trawler moving away from its usual position and into the middle of the harbour.

The crew members, who had been sleeping when the incident began, were suddenly faced with a frightening situation. They had to act quickly to regain control of the boat and prevent the situation from becoming even more dangerous.

Mr Swift said the man repeatedly demanded to be taken to France because he wanted to collect his family.

The skipper later shared details of the incident on Facebook, explaining how the man had boarded the vessel while the fishermen were asleep.

He said the man started the engine and pushed the throttle so hard that the mooring ropes broke. This caused the boat to move into the harbour, creating a dangerous situation for everyone on board.

According to Mr Swift, the crew eventually managed to take control of the situation, bring the vessel back alongside the harbour wall and secure it using new ropes.

Although the crew members were able to stop the boat from leaving the harbour, the skipper believes the incident may have caused serious damage to the vessel.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Mr Swift explained that he initially struggled to believe what had happened when his crew contacted him.

He said he received a telephone call from the fishermen explaining that someone had boarded the boat and attempted to take it away.

At first, he thought they might have been playing a joke on him because the situation sounded so unusual.

However, he soon realised that the incident was serious.

Mr Swift said the man appeared determined to reach France and kept shouting about wanting to be taken there.

He also explained that the man seemed to have little understanding of how a commercial fishing boat works.

According to the skipper, the man was turning the steering wheel and trying to make the boat move without knowing how to control the vessel correctly.

Mr Swift expressed his anger over the incident, saying the man’s actions had created serious problems for his fishing business.

He was particularly concerned about the safety of the crew, who had been caught completely unaware while sleeping.

The skipper said the situation could have ended in tragedy if the crew had been unable to regain control of the boat.

He explained that the fishermen were frightened because they did not know what the man might do next or how much control he had over the vessel.

For Mr Swift, the incident was not simply about someone trying to take his boat. He said it had also placed people’s lives at risk.

The 31-year-old father of two, who lives in the area, explained that the boat means a great deal to him because it is an important part of his livelihood.

He fears that the damage caused during the incident could leave him facing a financial loss of up to £100,000.

The potential costs include repairs to the engine and electrical systems, as well as money lost if the boat cannot return to fishing while the damage is being assessed.

Mr Swift said he was still waiting to understand the full extent of the damage and could not rule out the possibility that the vessel might be beyond economical repair.

He described the fishing boat as his pride and joy and said he was deeply upset by what had happened.

The Carousel is a commercial fishing vessel used to catch whelks in the English Channel. It is jointly owned by Lynn Shellfish, a family-run seafood business based in King’s Lynn, Norfolk.

The company has been operating across three generations and supplies shellfish to customers.

Steven Williamson, the managing director of Lynn Shellfish, also expressed surprise at the incident.

He said the company had never experienced anything like it before and described the situation as highly unusual.

Mr Williamson suggested that someone attempting such a dangerous journey might have been acting out of desperation.

However, he also stressed that trying to take a commercial fishing vessel across the Channel without the necessary experience could have serious consequences.

He explained that the man’s actions had not only endangered his own life but had also created risks for the crew, the vessel and other boats using the busy waters of the English Channel.

Mr Williamson said it was fortunate that the fishermen were on board and able to stop the situation before the boat travelled any further.

Kent Police later confirmed that officers had responded to reports of an attempted boat theft at Royal Harbour.

According to the police, they received a call at approximately 3.17am on Tuesday, November 3.

Officers were informed that someone had allegedly attempted to take a boat out to sea and that ropes had been damaged during the incident.

Police attended the harbour and arrested a 30-year-old Sudanese man in connection with what happened.

The force confirmed that the man remained in police custody while officers continued their enquiries.

Although the arrested man was identified by police as Sudanese, his immigration status had not been established publicly at the time of the report.

It was therefore unclear whether he was an asylum seeker, had another immigration status or had recently arrived in Britain.

The Home Office was approached for further information about his circumstances.

The incident has also attracted political attention, with Reform UK leader Nigel Farage commenting on what happened.

Writing on X, Mr Farage said he had spoken directly with Mr Swift following the attempted theft.

He used the incident to criticise the situation in Britain, writing that the country was sinking deeper every day.

His comments came at a time when immigration and crossings of the English Channel remain major subjects of political debate.

The report also highlighted recent figures showing that 1,670 migrants had reached Britain from continental Europe over four days, between Thursday and Sunday.

According to the figures included in the report, this was the busiest four-day period of Channel crossings recorded so far in 2026.

The report stated that the total number of arrivals since Andy Burnham became Prime Minister had reached 10,136, while the overall number since Labour came to power in July 2024 stood at 87,319. These figures were reported in the original account and have not been independently verified here.

The attempted theft in Ramsgate has raised questions about security around fishing vessels and how someone could board a commercial boat while its crew were sleeping.

Fishing boats often contain powerful engines and specialist equipment that require training and experience to operate safely. Attempting to move such a vessel without proper knowledge can create dangerous situations, particularly in a busy harbour.

For the fishermen involved, what should have been a normal night resting aboard their boat turned into an unexpected emergency.

Instead of preparing for another fishing trip, the crew found themselves trying to stop an unfamiliar man from taking their vessel out to sea.

Mr Swift is now left waiting to discover how badly his boat has been damaged and whether he will be able to continue working without a lengthy interruption.

The arrested man’s reasons for allegedly trying to reach France have not been independently confirmed beyond the account given by the skipper. It also remains unclear whether his family was actually in France or what circumstances led to the incident.

Police enquiries are continuing, and further details may emerge as investigators establish exactly what happened at the harbour.

For now, the boat’s owners say they are relieved that the crew managed to prevent a potentially dangerous journey across the English Channel, even though the incident may leave the fishing business facing significant financial losses.