Tuesday, October 26, 2010
By: Joseph George
 Officials from the shipping industry yesterday rubbished claims that pirates from Somalia are striking at vessels sailing in waters that come under the jurisdiction of the UAE. (AFP) |
One official on the condition of anonymity, however said that the UAE is not taking any chances and authorities are doing everything to ensure vessels sailing in its waters are safe.
“According to our reports, the UAE is indeed granting permission for armed presence on the vessel on a case-by-case basis,” he said.
The fear and speculation surrounding pirates striking far from their known area of operation - off the East coast of Somalia around the horn of Africa and in the Indian Ocean – stems from a recent controversy surrounding a vessel called the Ocean Trite.
Sunil Dharmaratne was captaining the vessel, along with seven other Sri Lankans and two Indian nationals, bringing petroleum products from Iran to Sharjah when the ship was allegedly attacked.
While there is no clarification as to why after killing the captain, the pirates let the ship go, the Sharjah Police who initially detained the crew for questioning, have since released them all.
“The men have already left the country on another assignment. They have been completely cleared of all suspicion,” said H Hassan the owner.
If foul play on board has been ruled out, it means that a pirate attack did take place somewhere near the Arabian Gulf.
This will be the second incident involving an attack on a ship in the Gulf.
In July, a Japanese tanker M Star was attacked close to Iranian waters, in what was initially believed to be a pirate attack. However, detail investigations pointed to the fact that it could have also been a terror attack.
The shipping industry, however, is not perturbed.
“I have not heard any reports about pirates having moved closer to the UAE’s maritime borders. It is true that they are scattered now because of increased naval presence in the Gulf of Aden. But that does not mean they have moved closer to the UAE,” said Captain Duncan McKelvie, Area Marine Representative of NYK Line.
Another senior industry official speaking on condition of anonymity said, “There is more pirate activity in the Indian Ocean these days. But UAE’s waters are really safe,” he said.
Meanwhile, another vessel Voc Daisy that was hijacked by pirates on April 21 this year about 19 nm south-east from Salalah, Oman has been released.
The vessel had a crew of 21 Filippinos. At the time of the incident, the ship was sailing west from Ruwais in the UAE, heading for the International Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) through the Gulf of Aden.
A team of four pirates, armed with AK47s and one rocket-propelled grenade launcher, had boarded the ship. The vessel was finally released following a payment of ransom.
Source: EmiratesEmirates