Finally ending the two-month ordeal suffered by the 18 Indian sailors onboard the hijacked merchant vessel Stolt Valor, five of them safely reached Mumbai at 0600 hours Monday. Captain Prabhat Goyal, and the remaining Indian crew members are scheduled to return later this week.
The cargo liner, owned by a Japanese company and managed by Fleet Marine Ltd Mumbai, was hijacked by Somali pirates, off the Gulf of Aden on September 15. The pirates demanded a ransom of 6 million USD for the release of the crew, before lowering it to USD 2.5 million.
The ship was freed on November 16 after two months of captivity, when Somali pirates released the vessel in the Gulf of Aden following payment of an unspecified ransom amount.
National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI) general secretary Abdul Ghani, along with the retuned crew members, held a press conference to express his gratitude to the Indian government and the media. He termed the pirates maritime terrorists.
Underlining the lack of co-ordination between the various international Navies present in the region, Ghani said the vessels patrolling the area are very particular about the nationality of the hijacked crew and are more pro-active in their efforts if the hijacked crew belongs to their country.
Thanking the government Ghani said, “We appreciate the role of Indian government,” adding that the Indian Navy is doing a good job.
Ghani made special mention of Captain Goyal’s wife Seema Goyal and said, “Mrs Goyal’s role is appreciative as she took the matter to the highest level.”
Terming the two-month period as a terrible experience, the crew members said they were held at gunpoint and could do nothing without the permission from the pirates. They, however, denied any physical torture and said that they were tortured mentally.
The sailors said there were at least 30 hijackers and their sole concern was money. “They could have done anything for money,” they added.
The cargo liner, owned by a Japanese company and managed by Fleet Marine Ltd Mumbai, was hijacked by Somali pirates, off the Gulf of Aden on September 15. The pirates demanded a ransom of 6 million USD for the release of the crew, before lowering it to USD 2.5 million.
The ship was freed on November 16 after two months of captivity, when Somali pirates released the vessel in the Gulf of Aden following payment of an unspecified ransom amount.
National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI) general secretary Abdul Ghani, along with the retuned crew members, held a press conference to express his gratitude to the Indian government and the media. He termed the pirates maritime terrorists.
Underlining the lack of co-ordination between the various international Navies present in the region, Ghani said the vessels patrolling the area are very particular about the nationality of the hijacked crew and are more pro-active in their efforts if the hijacked crew belongs to their country.
Thanking the government Ghani said, “We appreciate the role of Indian government,” adding that the Indian Navy is doing a good job.
Ghani made special mention of Captain Goyal’s wife Seema Goyal and said, “Mrs Goyal’s role is appreciative as she took the matter to the highest level.”
Terming the two-month period as a terrible experience, the crew members said they were held at gunpoint and could do nothing without the permission from the pirates. They, however, denied any physical torture and said that they were tortured mentally.
The sailors said there were at least 30 hijackers and their sole concern was money. “They could have done anything for money,” they added.
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