Did pirates target ship with Indian crew?

India did not rule out the possibility of the missing ship with 25 Indian crew on board being targeted by sea pirates.

The Directorate General of Shipping has sought the help of Kuala Lumpur-based International Maritime Board (IMB) in this connection after it decided to despatch an Indian officer to join international investigations. The M V Rezzak went missing in the Black Sea on February 18. The IMB Kuala Lumpur is a nodal agency that monitors crime taking place in the international sea. It gets information about incidents of sea piracy around the world. The vessel left Russia for Turkey on February 17 carrying steel billets. The voyage time is about 24 hours. Mumbai-based Pelican Marine recruited the crew for the ship. However, its director Santhosh Biswas ruled out the possibility of pirates targeting the ship. "I don't think it is hijacked. There is no sea piracy in European waters," he claimed. The ship is owned by a Turkish national and registered in Panama. Panamanian authorities are holding an investigation into the missing ship.

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