A Danish-owned cargo ship was paid a visit by Italian special forces on Friday in search of intruders.

According to local authorities, the 15 illegal immigrants had snuck on board in hopes of reaching Europe.

The Danish shipping group confirms the incident to Danish daily Jyllands-Posten. The ship Galatea Seaways, however, sails under Turkish flag.

”As is standard procedure when migrants are spotte aboard any ship, crew members get in touch with authorities who then decide the right course of action,” says head of communication at DFDS Christina Bruun Madsen to Jyllands-Posten.

The migrants were spotted on surveillance equipment, and the crew members have said that one of the migrants were carrying ”a knife-like object.”

No communication ensued between the stowaways and the crew, says DFDS.

According to The Guardian, the military operation lasted for nearly seven hours.

The special forces were lowered onto the ship from a helicopter.

A total of two naval helicopters as well as coast guard and financial police boats were involved in the operation, says Italy’s defense minister, Guido Crosetto, according to The Guardian.

The asylum seekers of 13 men and two women mainly hailed from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, The Guardian writes.

An Italian news agency said the migrants attempted to take some of the sailors hostage. However, DFDS denies that claim.

Galatea Seaways were on its way from Türkiye to France, and on Saturday, the ship was anchored off Naples, and there was a heavy police presence at the port, writes Reuters.

English edit: Simon Øst Vejbæk