Efforts on to free ship captain, 2 crew detained in Togo

Efforts are on to free the captain of an Indian merchant tanker, MT Ocean Centurion, detained along with two other crew members in a Togo prison in West Africa, an official said here today.
"Captain Sunil James of the Indian merchant ship MV Ocean Centurion along with two other crew members have been held captive in a Togo prison. Efforts are being made for their release," the Shipping Ministry official told PTI.
The official said they have received information that "some charges are being framed against the Indian seafarers as per the law of that country but we are yet to get the details".

He said the family members of the detained captain have approached the ministry seeking his release.
Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said the ministry was in touch with local authorities there.
"We are in touch with the authorities.... They are coming back with information they have and we will deal with it as urgently as possible," he said.

Captain James, as per reports, was detained by Togo authorities on July 31.
The vessel was attacked by pirates on July 16 near Lagos and released. Later, the reports said, when the Captain reported the piracy to Togo authorities, he was detained and held captive with two other crew members.

Captain James told Times Now that the prison officials, who don't speak English, forced the captives to sign papers. "We do not even know what we are signing," he said.
Last month, Shipping Minister G K Vasan had said that an inter-ministerial panel to deal with the hostage situation arising out of the hijacking of merchant vessels with Indian crew on board has been regularly reviewing the situation of Indian hostages.