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28 March 2024

Little hope of rescue for 24 crew in pirate captivity

Published
By Joseph George
“Go ask the pirates,” is how the management of Azal Shipping & Cargo responded to queries about efforts being made to secure the release of the remaining 22 crew, who were abducted almost a year ago.
“I am not duty bound to respond to your queries. Do not waste our precious time,” is how the official responded this morning.
This was after the Indian Consulate in Dubai said that efforts are on to secure the release of the abducted sailors. MV Iceberg hijacked on March 30, 2010 with 6 Indians, 8 Yemenis, 2 Pakistanis, 1 Filipino, 4 Ghanaian and 2 Sudanese nationals.
“The ship is owned by a Yemeni national based in Dubai. The Consulate General of India has been in regular touch with the owner to ascertain the welfare of its nationals. We have been informed that the Indian crew members are safe and that negotiations for their release are underway with the pirates,” said Madhu Sethi, Consul, Press and Culture and the Head of Chancery at the Consulate General of India.
The vessel was hijacked when it was sailing with 24 crewmen, about ten nautical miles from Aden Port, Gulf of Aden. Two of the sailors are believed to have died since then.
Relatives of the crew had recently blamed the Indian government of not doing enough. The Indian government which initially said the issue had to be resolved between the ship owners and the pirates later announced that the Ministry of External Affairs along with the Shipping Ministry and the Indian Navy, are making all efforts, including putting diplomatic pressure on the vessel owners.
Media reports quoting senior government officials in India said the Consul General in Dubai has particularly sought intervention of the local governments to push the Dubai-based Yemeni owner of Panamian flag vessel.
The Indian consulate also said that it was in constant touch with the owner of RAK Africana which was recently released after 11months and has on board 11 Indians, 5 Pakistanis and 10 Tanzanians.
Meanwhile, the Indian navy on Monday said that it had arrested 61 pirates and rescued 13 crew members on Saturday some 700 miles off the western coast. The Navy said it had seized the Vega 5, a fishing boat from Mozambique that Somali pirates had captured in December and were using as a mother ship to attack other ships in the Arabian Sea.
The Navy increased its patrols in December after a series of pirate attacks near the Indian coast. The raid was the third major capture of Somali pirates by Indian authorities this year. India captured 43 pirates in two raids in January and February.AFP