Somali Pirates free Indian Sailors after 4 Years
Somali pirates have freed seven Indian sailors detained for close to four years in exchange for an undisclosed ransom, Somali officials and a maritime monitoring group said on Friday. At one time the pirates made millions of dollars in ransoms from seizing ships sailing the Horn of Africa nation's waters, but increased patrols by international navies on the Indian Ocean have reduced incidences of piracy. The sailors, held since the pirates hijacked the Panama-flagged ship MT Asphalt Venture in September 2010, were freed on Thursday. Eight of their colleagues were freed by the pirates along with the ship in April 2011 for a ransom. Their captors said at the time that they would only release the seven sailors when their fellow Somali pirates held by Indian authorities were freed.
Shipping Bodies Raise Alarm as Pirates Take Ransom
The International Chamber of Shipping, ITF, Indian National Shipowners’ Association, NUSI, MUI, IMEC, InterManager, Intertanko and BIMCO deplore the latest development in the Indian Ocean piracy crisis as some Indian crew members of a released merchant ship are retained ashore in Somalia. The Asphalt Venture, a 1991 built asphalt/bitumen tanker was hijacked by Somali pirates on September 28th 2010 and, following a ransom payment, the ship was released on April 15. Despite the owners’ concluding a dialogue with the pirates for the full release of 15 crew and vessel and payment of the ransom, the vessel was released but the Master has reported that 6 officers and 1 rating were taken off the tanker and made to accompany the pirates ashore.
MV Asphalt Venture Pirated in Somali Basin
The Panama-flagged MV Asphalt Venture is confirmed to be pirated in the Somali Basin, approximately 100 nautical miles South-East of Dar es Salaam in the Somali Basin. The pirating of the vessel became clear in early afternoon of 29 September. The vessel had made a sudden, unplanned deviation to its course to Durban, turning back towards the Somali coast, and then failed to respond to repeated radio calls. The MV Asphalt Venture, deadweight 3,884 tons, has a crew of 15, all Indian.
