In a bid to keep a close watch on the movement of 19 crew members including 13 Indians onboard a Bahamas-flagged oil tanker, the Indonesian Maritime police have been deployed on the vessel. The on board crew members said at least five armed men have been deployed at a time in one shift, which will rotate, on the ship in Batam, Indonesia. The seafarers are also being interrogated ashore in shifts.

The disturbing development has scared the crew members. The Indian seafarers have sent a letter to the general secretary of Forward Seamen’s Union of India Manoj Yadav, who has been fighting to bring the stranded Indian crew members back home.