New Pirate Tactic: Hunt Indians

[angeldemon_007]

Somalia Report’s Jama Deperani tells us how Somali pirates are pressuring the Indian government to release pirate cohorts

In addition to hijacking the most lucrative maritime cargo, Somalia pirates are now hunting specifically for Indian seafarers in an effort to pressure the Indian government to release Somali pirates being held in Indian jails. To increase the odds, the pirates are searching for Indians among the nearly 300 sailors already being held hostage on various hijacked ships and on land.

Two of the pirates holding seven Indian crew members of the MT Asphalt Venture in Harardheere area of Somalia’s Mudug region explained the new tactic to Somalia Report.

The MT Asphalt Venture and eight of the 15 crew members were released on April 15th for $3.5 million in ransom, but the pirates kept the seven Indians, according to leader of the group of pirates.

“Yes, we still holding these seven Indian crew. We released their vessel after we got a ransom, but the Indian case is different from other hostages. We are hunting Indian crews from any hijacked vessel and we won’t release any Indian crews until the Indian government releases our friends in their jails,” said the pirate who asked to be called Farah.

“We will continue to release any hijacked vessel that pays a ransom, but will not release the Indian crews even if a ransom is paid,” the pirate told Somalia Report.

“There are a lot of our friends in Indian jails, including two of my sons and my nephew. None of the Indian hostages will be released until Indian government releases them,” said Hassan Jama, a pirate from the same group holding the seven Indians, in a video message the pirates released to local media in Mudug region.

Bazal Sien, one of the Indian hostages, begged the Indian government for help.

“We have been here for six months. The climate is so hot and pirates are threatening kill us if our government does not release their pirate friends,“ said Bazal Sien in the video.

India has taken an aggressive stance against pirates this year. The Indian Navy captured 61 Somali pirates from the Vega 5 on March 14th and another 28 pirates on February 6th from the hijacked Prantaly 11 and yet another 14 in June.

In June, the Somali ambassador to India, who says 105 Somali pirates are being held in Indian prisons, requested India to return the pirates to Somalia.

Pirates are currently holding at least 53 Indian hostages including 46 on hijacked vessels and seven others on land.

MV ICEBERG 1 – 24 crew (6 are Indian)

MV ALBEDO – 23 crew (2 are Indian)

MV SAVINA CAYLYN – 22 crew (17 are Indian)

MT FAIRCHEM BOGEY – 21 crew (21 are Indian)

MT ASPHALT VENTURE (vessel and 8 crew released) – 7 Indians being held in Harardhere

New Pirate Tactic: Hunt Indians | MaritimeSecurity.Asia

 

[Vimana]

Why don't we just make a deal with the pirates for them not to attack Indian cargo ships in exchange for their friends hold up in Indian jails and that the Indian Navy will not target them in future? makes sense for everyone involved

 

[Basanti]

send MARCOS in. They ll clear the mess in a day

 

[Vimana]

send MARCOS in. They ll clear the mess in a day

These pirates are desperate souls we can kill a few but more will join, there must be a long term solution instead or a deal cut with them.

 

[LiberalAtheist]

no need to take pirates as prisoners sink them at sea and let the Ocean deal with them as for our captured sailors send a MARCO team into Somalia to rescue our sailors and that will solve our problems

 

[Roybot]

They should start putting armed guards on the ships, like Germany and UK.

And Inidian Navy should get rid of the pirates on the spot, no need to bring them to India and make them a burned on Indian taxpayers

 

[Vimana]

True Blue Ocean Navy, my A$$.

Our Navy should be doing more important things like protecting our coastline instead of fighting ragtag militia which is a waste of manpower and resources.

 

[angeldemon_007]

I also think making a deal with pirates is a nice way to go other than that we can also start development in Somalia but Somalia is a lost cause, we should not get directly involved with that country may be with UN and AU's help.

send MARCOS in. They ll clear the mess in a day

Things doen't work the way you think it does my friend. Firstly we don't know where the hostages are kept. Secondly its no like all the hostages are at the same place not to mention the operation might need SF to go to Somalian mainland and i don't think India has any kind of relationship with anyone who is in power there.

 

[Thorough Pro]

Our Navy should be doing more important things like protecting our coastline instead of fighting ragtag militia which is a waste of manpower and resources.

Defend coast line from who/what? what about Indian citizens?

 

[Vibs]

Our Navy should be doing more important things like protecting our coastline instead of fighting ragtag militia which is a waste of manpower and resources.

Are you kidding me. A large part of our exports use this route...not to mention the thousands of Indian seamen working on various merchant ships along this route. It's not only the bread and butter for our export oriented units that we should be concerned about, it also happens to be our backyard!

 

[TOPGUN]

This has become a big problem for the indian gov i hope these bastard pirates die and go straight to hell .

 

[Vibs]

I also think making a deal with pirates is a nice way to go other than that we can also start development in Somalia but Somalia is a lost cause, we should not get directly involved with that country may be with UN and AU's help.


Things doen't work the way you think it does my friend. Firstly we don't know where the hostages are kept. Secondly its no like all the hostages are at the same place not to mention the operation might need SF to go to Somalian mainland and i don't think India has any kind of relationship with anyone who is in power there.

Quite frankly I would have expected a UN security council to vote for a military intervention in Somalia. Ever wonder where all the arms come from and where all the money that is gained by ransom goes to? That money is surely not going back to Somalia or to buy them advanced weapons/ships!

 

[Vimana]

Are you kidding me. A large part of our exports use this route...not to mention the thousands of Indian seamen working on various merchant ships along this route. It's not only the bread and butter for our export oriented units that we should be concerned about, it also happens to be our backyard!

Exactly why a long term solution is needed otherwise the cat and mouse game will continue and we gonna have to pay millions in ransom in the future.

 

[Vimana]

Defend coast line from who/what? what about Indian citizens?

We can do exchange with them but they already went back on the deal we cut.


The MT Asphalt Venture and eight of the 15 crew members were released on April 15th for $3.5 million in ransom, but the pirates kept the seven Indians, according to leader of the group of pirates.


We should hit these punks hard but after we do we must tell them stop this game with India otherwise next time we will hit you even harder and let these pirates target other countries.

 

[Vibs]

Exactly why a long term solution is needed otherwise the cat and mouse game will continue and we gonna have to pay millions in ransom in the future.

Pirates don't pick and choose who they hold at ransom. They take what they can capture. And frankly dealing with pirates/terrorists is the worst way to resolve a problem. There is barely any centralized leadership there.
A permanent solution would not be an arrangement with them. It's either deterrence, which seems to be failing, eventually leading to an offensive.