New Delhi/Mumbai/ Ahmedabad/Nairobi , March 30: About 100 Indians are feared captured and eight “dhows (modernised versions of traditional Arab sailing vessels)” seized by pirates off Somalia’s coast. A Gujarat-based shipping association said on Tuesday that seven of its vessels had been hijacked.
“Around Saturday afternoon we got information that seven of our vessels were hijacked by Somali pirates in mid-sea,” Kutch Vahanvati Association (KVA) president Kasam Ali Bholim told agencies in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. “Eight to 100 crew members of these vessels have been captured.
We have already approached the port authorities and the director-general of shipping in this regard,” he said. The dhows feared hijacked by Somali pirates have been identified as merchant shipping vessels (MSVs) Al-Kadri, Al-Hizaj, Faize-eOsman, Sea Queen, Nar Narayan, Krishna Jyot, Vishwa Kalyan and AKPCT.
In Mumbai, a directorate-general of shipping spokesperson said, “The directorate has issued directions prohibiting mechanised sailing vessels to trade south and west of the line joining Salalah and Male with immediate effect,” adding, “These vessels had been operating in or near the pirate-infested area near the Gulf of Aden. Ninety-seven lndian seafarers are reported to be on these vessels. The exact dates of their hijacking have not yet been confirmed.”
The dhows, sailing from Somalia to Dubai, were been last known to have dropped anchor in the rebel territory of Kismayo in Somalia.
News agencies cited a Nairobi-based diplomat as saying that Somali pirates are holding several dhows, carrying an estimated 100 Indian sailors, that they seized over the past five days and that the dhows were seized between Friday and Sunday. The vessels are believed to have been moving goods between Somalia and the United Arab Emirates, the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media, told agencies in the Kenyan capital. He said some of the dhows have drifted away from the Somali coastline but their location is not clear.
Other agency reports cited traders in the Somali capital of Mogadishu as saying that seven vessels headed for the Somali capital Mogadishu had been hijacked over the past two days.
In New Delhi, Indian Navy sources said on Tuesday that the Navy has received confirmation from the Union shipping ministry that some Indian vessels were reported missing. Defence sources said the Indian Navy had repeatedly warned the shipping ministry to take action against Indian merchant vessels plying in the pirate-infested waters off Somalia. Defence sources also ruled out any military intervention by the Indian Navy, saying that “it is normally not an option in such cases” since any armed action could endanger the lives of hostages on board the vessels.
Meanwhile, in Ahmedabad, KVA president Kasam Ali Bholim said, “They (the authorities) are trying to locate the ships and make contact with the pirates. But nothing has materialised till now.” He added, “We have lost all communication with the vessel crew... neither have the pirates made contact with us. We are just waiting for information about the vessels.” Mr Bholim said five vessels are from Kutch while two others are from Porbander and Veraval. He feared that there could be more vessels hijacked by Somali pirates.
The hijackings are understood to have been first brought to light by the vessel MSV Arzoo which was captured and later freed by pirates. The vessel subsequently sailed into the waters off the Seychelles and informed the authorities about the hijackings.
Shipping ministry sources in Delhi said a notice, including a fresh advisory, has been issued by the director-general (shipping) to the Federation of All-India Sailing Vessels based at Jamnagar in Gujarat. Shipping ministry sources also said advisories had been issued in the past too warning Indian merchant vessels not to stray into Somali waters.
Agencies quoted the owner of the MSV Nar Narayan, Mr Dhiraj Thakkar, as saying, “We got information (of the capture) from one of the ships which was able to briefly contact its owner before being captured”. Mr Thakkar said he was waiting for the government to take some action.
No contact has been established with the hijackers and no ransom demands have been made so far, said directorate-general of shipping sources.
Mr Abdulgani Serang, secretary-cum-treasurer of the National Union of Seafarers of India, said in Mumbai that pirates generally capture such vessels to hide their smaller boats, which they use for attacking big ships. “Once the pirates are within reach of their targets, they take out their own boats and release the dhow,” Mr Serang said, adding that the crew is usually not harmed as they do not carry valuables.
Age Correspondents with agency inputs
