23 Bangladeshi sailors on board MV Abdullah freed
It was the payment of a ransom that helped free the ship, the crew were hostages of Somali pirates. The cargo ship is now on its way to Dubai escorted by EU naval forces. Work is in progress for the release of the 25 people working on the MSC Aries, which was detained by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. India demands the release of its 17 citizens on board
Dhaka (AsiaNews) - While there is hope for the release of the 25 crew members (Indians, Filipinos, Pakistanis, Russians and Estonians) of the MSC Aries ship of the Zodiac group flying the Portuguese flag and linked to Israel, seized three days ago in the Strait of Hormuz by a unit of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, the 23 Bangladeshi sailors of the cargo ship MV Abdullah of the KSRM group held captive since March 12 by a commando of Somali pirates were freed off the coast of Somalia.
The release took place on Sunday 14 April, after the ship had been diverted into the Indian Ocean, following the payment of a substantial ransom by the company.
The people who witnessed the liberation operations said that the money was sent following a reconnaissance carried out by a small plane near the vessel with the aim of gathering evidence on the positive state of health of the sailors.
The latter showed themselves on the bridge, raising their hands, thus confirming that they were safe. After this confirmation, the aircraft dropped three bags of dollars wrapped in white waterproof tape, which were recovered by seven pirates with the help of two motorboats.
Shahriar Jahan Rahat, deputy CEO of the KSRM group, made no statement regarding the amount paid. In recent hours, however, he said he was relieved by the favorable outcome of the case.
A group official hinted at a ransom of more than million. A figure later denied by another employee. “The pirates released the ship for a much lower ransom – less than four million dollars – than the MV Jahan Mani,” he said.
The reference is to the seizure in December 2010 of the Kabir Group ship, whose crew was released after 100 days of captivity. The MV Abdullah, followed on sight by the Indian Navy in recent days, is now headed to Dubai, where she is expected to drop anchor on April 22nd. After completion of the unloading procedures the sailors will be free, with the possibility of going home, or wherever they wish.
The route to the United Arab Emirates is a very delicate phase, due to the crossing of high-risk waters. “After docking in Dubai, repatriation formalities will begin,” reiterated Shahriar Jahan Rahat. For this reason it was deemed necessary to strengthen the safety measures of the vessel.
The sections of barbed wire and fire hoses were thus installed and strengthened, ready for use in case of attacks by pirates. After the release, two EU ships escorted the MV Abdullah; a gesture also shared through the Union's channels, which showed the vessel traveling under protection.
However, apprehension continues over the release of the crew of the MSC Aries, which was headed to the port of Nhava Sheva, Mumbai. In particular, diplomatic efforts are increasing to obtain the release of the 17 Indian sailors on board.
There is an ongoing back and forth between the Indian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and his Iranian namesake, Hossein Amirabdollahian. Jaishankar's demand is for immediate release, made public during a press conference in Bangalore.
Accompanied by the request to Iran not to escalate tensions with Israel, which happened with the missile and drone attack on the Jewish state last Saturday night. In fact, these also have a global impact, in particular on India due to the massive diaspora living in Western Asia, the Minister announced.
At the moment, negotiations are underway for a meeting between the Indian Embassy staff and the kidnapped people.
“This will be my first point of satisfaction. Secondly, we will absolutely push for these people to return to India as quickly as possible. My Iranian counterpart has been quite responsive in this regard,” Jaishankar continued.
The official reason for the seizure is violation of maritime laws. The underlying reason, however, is the link between the cargo ship and the Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer.
However, the detention has an effect on the global economy, as well as fueling the risk of war escalation. “For India, today there are almost 90 thousand Indian citizens living in this part of the world. Much of our maritime traffic passes through this part of the world,” he said.
In response, Tehran has asked India to carry out work in the competent bodies - for example at the UN - to bring an end to hostilities in the Gaza Strip, thus promoting détente and peace.
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