ID :
184585
Thu, 05/26/2011 - 12:24
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/184585
The shortlink copeid
INDIA TO DEPLOY ARMED RETIRED NAVY OFFICERS ON VESSELS
NEW DELHI, May 26 (Bernama) -- India will soon deploy armed guards on its merchant vessels to protect over 100,000 of its seafarers from pirates.
A senior government officer told Business Line that guidelines were being fine-tuned to place retired naval officers on board cargo ships.
"Proposal under consideration is to seek retired navy officers from the pool maintained by the Ministry of Defence.
"Each vessel can have a group of five armed personnel, one officer and four others. The shipping companies have to bear the cost of hiring the guards," quoted the newspaper, but did not name the officer.
Indian government had recently come under tremendous pressure from seafarer unions and ship owners to protect seamen from Somali pirates, who often target merchant vessels to extort huge ransom.
According to some industry sources about 50 Indian seafarers are still being held by Somali pirates.
This year, Somali pirates started to target Indian seafarers in the Arabian Sea and India Ocean, after Indian navy executed a slick operation off the Indian Ocean to capture a Somali gang terrorising the waters from a hijacked vessel.
In the operation last March, 60 Somali pirates were arrested and now facing charges in India.
A senior government officer told Business Line that guidelines were being fine-tuned to place retired naval officers on board cargo ships.
"Proposal under consideration is to seek retired navy officers from the pool maintained by the Ministry of Defence.
"Each vessel can have a group of five armed personnel, one officer and four others. The shipping companies have to bear the cost of hiring the guards," quoted the newspaper, but did not name the officer.
Indian government had recently come under tremendous pressure from seafarer unions and ship owners to protect seamen from Somali pirates, who often target merchant vessels to extort huge ransom.
According to some industry sources about 50 Indian seafarers are still being held by Somali pirates.
This year, Somali pirates started to target Indian seafarers in the Arabian Sea and India Ocean, after Indian navy executed a slick operation off the Indian Ocean to capture a Somali gang terrorising the waters from a hijacked vessel.
In the operation last March, 60 Somali pirates were arrested and now facing charges in India.
