UAE ship capture: 4 Indian seafarers in captivity for a week

CHENNAI: Four Indian seafarers continue to be in captivity after a UAE-flagged ship MV Rwabee was captured by Houthi rebels in Yemen last Sunday.
Sandeep Singh, second officer, and cadets Munnawar Shaikh and Akhil Reghu are among the four Indian crew who are in the ship. The details about one Indian national is not known. The ship has 11 crew members.
The family members of the seafarers who are from Kerala, Haryana and Maharashtra have appealed to the government of India to get them released.
The ship was headed to Saudi Port of Jizan when it was captured by rebels claiming that it contained military materials and weapons while Saudi had said that the ship was bringing medical items, said news reports. Manoj Joy, community development manager of Sailors’ Society, which is offering support to the families, said, “The rebels have allowed the crew to speak to the family members.
They have told their families that the rebels are asking for authentication to prove that they are genuine seafarers. The family members are worried and scared if the crew will be subjected to physical harm and mental torture. The ship owners based in the UAE and the Mumbai-based manning agency that recruited the seafarers for the job are not providing any update or information to families. The families are reaching out to them for information.”
The companies should have been the first to inform the families about the incidents and should have taken steps to alleviate the trauma faced by the families, he added. Though it has been a week since the ship was captured, the families have not received any official communication. They found out about the incident through foreign media, said Joy.
“The cadets told families that there was heavy firing when the rebels boarded the ship and captured it.”
Sohal Randhawa, wife of Sandeep Singh, said, “My husband called me yesterday and informed me that all the crew are safe and they are being treated well. But we do not know when he will be able to call again.”
Aleeza Sameer Shaikh, sister of cadet Munnawar Shaikh, said, “My brother called me yesterday and has asked us to contact the company in Mumbai to get documentation ready to secure the release. The company has contacted us and has informed the ministry and others. We are taking all steps together to solve the issue as early as possible.”
He also said, “We have appealed to the ministry of shipping because the government of India will have to intervene to help release the seafarers.”
An official from the agency that recruited the sailors said that the seafarers have been taken to a hotel from the ship and the documentation process is on.
“They will have to be there for seven days under quarantine after which tickets will be issued to them to return,” he added. However, the family members are yet to hear about this development from the seafarers.