Asphalt Venture

• Somali Pirates Free Indian Sailors After Four Years in Captivity

  Somali pirates have freed seven Indian sailors detained for close to four years in exchange for an undisclosed ransom, Somali officials and a maritime monitoring group said on Friday.

• Indian sailors held hostage by Somali pirates: Shipping company seeks Kerala government's help

  As part of continuing negotiations to secure the release of the seven Indian sailors of MV Asphalt Venture who are being held hostage by Somali pirates, top officials of the shipping company, OMCI, today met Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and other government representatives. The sailors have been in the custody of the pirates for a little ove...

• 7-month-ordeal over, MV Asphalt Venture crew returns home

  After spending seven months in captivity, eight sailors of the MV Asphalt Venture returned to India on Saturday night. However, seven crew members still remain in captivity after Somali pirates double-crossed the ship owners even after the payment of a ransom."While it is wonderful to be here and to be reunited with our families, we remain deeply c...

• Concrete but discreet efforts on to secure sailors' release: Shipping Minister

  With uncertainty looming large over the fate of the seven Indian sailors held hostage by Somali pirates, the government has, for the first time, spoken about efforts to rescue the captives.Speaking to NDTV, Union Shipping Minister GK Vasan said that the government was doing its best to secure the release of the seven hostages. The minister, though,...

• Pirates take ransom, keep hostages

  Somali pirates who took a multi-million dollar ransom for hijacked Indian freighter MT Asphalt Venture, have refused to release seven of the 15 Indian crew members held as hostages, in the first such step by sea-brigands.Mumbai-based OMCI Ship Management, the owners of the ship, today clarified that all the crew members of the ill-fated vessel...