'Pirates target for ransom, not to kill': Mohammad Idris, survivor of 2010 MV Jahan Moni hijacking

"The main target of Somali pirates is to collect ransom. Their intention is not to kill anyone," Mohammad Idris, a former shipfitter at the MV Jahan Moni, which fell victim to Somali piracy in 2010, says.

MV Abdullah, a cargo vessel owned by Kabir Group, was hijacked on Tuesday (12 March) with 23 of its crew members on board by a group of Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean en route to their journey from Mozambique to Dubai — an incident which mimics a similar misfortune that befell MV Jahan Moni, another vessel of the same company.

The ordeal of MV Jahan Moni saw its 25 crew members and the captain's wife held hostage for a harrowing 100 days. 

Mohammad Idris, now aboard the Vanguard Shipping vessel, can still recall those days clearly, but he urges the families of the recent victims to keep faith. 

When the anxious families of MV Abdullah's crew were rushing to Kabir Group's office, he came to offer solace to the families.

At that time, Mohammad Idris shared insights and shed light on the dark world of maritime piracy exclusively to The Business Standard.

What preparations are there on the ship to prevent pirates

Idris says every ship operating on international routes has some measures to prevent pirates.

"Among them, one is to hire sniper shooters when crossing pirate-prone routes. These shooters are picked up from Sri Lanka and after escorting the ship past Somalia, they disembark in the Suez Canal. 

"When pirates attempt to attack the ship, the shooters open fire, making the pirates realise that the ship has armed personnel so that they do not approach the ship," said the survivor of MV Moni.

The second preparation is to install barbed wire on the ship's railing, which will have an electrification system. 

"If pirates try to board the ship, they get electrocuted by this electrified wire," he said.

The hijacked ship MV Abdullah, however,  did not have any of these preparations, he told TBS.

According to Idris, the last and weakest preparation is the fire hose. 

"By heating water through the ship's engine, this fire hose is used to spray hot water on the pirates, which is the minimum level of preparation."

From the audio sent by the sailors and posts on social media, it appears that the pirates took control of MV Abdullah without any resistance.

"Heating water through the engine to spray on the pirates requires some time, which the sailors of MV Abdullah perhaps did not have. Before they could understand anything, the pirates had already boarded the ship," Mohammad Idris added.

What are the rescue and ransom process

"After hijacking any ship, the pirates first take the sailors to their stronghold. Then they inquire about the ship owner in detail and demand a ransom," said the seasoned sailor.

This usually takes about a week.

There are international groups that act as third parties and convey the kidnappers' ransom demands or messages to the ship owner. 

This third party facilitates negotiations between the kidnappers and the ship owner.

To the relatives of the captured sailors, he said, generally, if the ransom demanded is paid, they usually do not harm anyone. 

Drawing on the experience from last time, SR Shipping hopes to bring back their sailors unharmed this time as well, expressed this sailor.

When asked about the experience of captivity in 2010, Idris said, "We started our journey from Indonesia on 21 November. We collected oil, 3 months' worth of food, and all necessary items at the Singapore port. 

"From Singapore, we set sail towards Greece on 27 November. While travelling through the Arabian Sea, our ship MV Jahan Moni fell into the hands of Somali pirates. Using hooks and ladders, they boarded the ship and held us all at gunpoint, confining us in the bridge area. On 11 December, they took us to a location off the coast of Somalia," the survivor recounted.

Idris said, "Five days after being held hostage, we were allowed to speak with our families for 5 minutes each. In turn, we were guarded under armed surveillance. The pirates took all the high-quality food on the ship. 

"They would occasionally mention sailors' names and threaten to kill them. We lived in fear of losing our lives. We were always anxious about whether we would be able to return to our families alive."

While sharing those painful memories of captivity, Idris became emotional saying his daughter was born when he was held captive somewhere in the Indian Ocean.

"She has been suffering from heart disease since birth. We had to seek treatment for her abroad multiple times. Her treatment is still ongoing," he said.

There are designated strongholds for Somali pirates, of which neither the Somali government nor any other force has control over those areas. 

"The Somali pirates spoke to us in English and Arabic. The pirates were Muslims and they regularly performed their prayers," Idris added.

He said, "It is not easy to be freed from the hands of Somali pirates. Thanks to the efforts of the ship owner, Kabir Group, the ship was quickly rescued and the sailors were freed. This time too, the ship owner will surely take swift action like before."