Intense negotiations by India with authorities in Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria have seen the return of 16 Indian crew members of a cargo vessel who were in detention for nine months, official sources said on Sunday. Oil tanker MT Heroic Idun and its 26 crew members, including 16 Indians, were in detention since August last year. They were first detained in Equatorial Guinea and subsequently in Nigeria. The ship and crew were accused of various crimes, including oil theft.
“Following talks, all charges against the crew were dropped and the ship was released on May 27 after paying fines,” they said.
“The Indian crew members have now returned to India,” they added. They said the Indian Mission officials remained in regular touch with the crew and undertook consular access on numerous occasions.
“From the outset, the Government of India, through its missions in Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria, and in bilateral meetings, took up the matter with the respective foreign authorities at various levels,” said a source. “They were pressed for early resolution of the issue and repatriation of the Indian crew members,” sources said.
Following interventions with the Nigerian Government, the crew was allowed to remain on board the ship with the provision of regular food, instead of being taken to a detention centre, the sources said. The crew members were also allowed periodic contact with their families.
“The Indian Mission worked with the shipping firm for legal representation to be arranged for the crew. It was highlighted to the Nigerian authorities that there had been no oil theft; necessary permissions had apparently been accorded; and that the crew was not privy to the decisions of operations,” sources said.