Headlines
How we were tricked into slavery on Iranian ships— -Indian seafarers

“They target seafarers for work without salary. It’s all a big trap,” said Ashkay Kumar, a 24-year-old deck cadet from Delhi who was among 26 Indian men interviewed about their experience with Iranian shipping. “They forced us to work like slaves.”
When a job recruitment agent in India handed Ashwani Pandit a plane ticket and visa for Iran early last year, he panicked.
When he found out at the last minute that he had been tricked, Pandit said, he was denied a refund and had little choice but to travel to Iran, where he toiled aboard a small cargo boat for seven months transporting urea and iron to Iraq.
“My friends working on vessels in Iran warned me companies there don’t pay salaries,” he said. “The same thing happened to me.”
Pandit ultimately left Iran empty-handed in August 2020. His employer, Dashti Marine Co., arranged his exit visa on the condition he signs a contract stating he did not require payment for his work.
Babak Dashti, the owner of Dashti Marine, declined to comment.
Indians represent a significant share of the seafarers employed by Iranian companies, in part because India is a major source of maritime labor worldwide.
The Indian labor is especially appealing for Iranian companies because U.S. sanctions on Iran have made it difficult to hire workers from many other counties, said Andy Bowerman, regional director for the Middle East and South Asia at the Mission to Seafarers, a charity.
Moreover, he said, “there are a lot of desperate people who will take a contract that they may or may not know has some risk to it.”
The pipeline for these migrant workers comprises recruitment agents in both India and Iran in addition to Iranian shipping firms, seafarers said.
Amitabh Kumar, the Indian government’s Director General of shipping, said that most of these seafarers appear to have traveled abroad as “undocumented recruitments” and that it is difficult to provide an exact number of men involved.
Neither Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization nor the Shipping Association of Iran responded to requests for comment.
Almost all the seafarers interviewed said they were denied adequate food and suffered regular attacks of hunger and subsequent weight loss.
“I faced a problem with food. I asked for food from ships nearby if I didn’t have lunch.
Some seafarers reported they were put to work aboard Iranian-flagged vessels that transport narcotics.
Anand Maity, 28, from Kolkata, for instance, said he had been working in the kitchen of a tugboat sailing from Djibouti to Iran and was unaware that drugs were on board before a stash of heroin was discovered two years ago by the Iranian coast guard.
Several men recalled getting caught up in other types of illicit commerce.
Jameel Akhtar, 29, from Mumbai, was among a number of seafarers who told of working on vessels smuggling fuel and other Iranian goods covered by U.S. sanctions.
After his tanker was caught transporting Iranian fuel in late 2020, Akhtar said, it was detained by authorities from the United Arab Emirates and remained anchored in port for months.
In July, four people wearing black masks and goggles and brandishing guns boarded the ship, tied the crew members’ hands behind their backs and threatened to shoot anybody who moved, he recalled.
An official report on the incident, published by investigators from the maritime administration of Dominica, the Caribbean country where the vessel was flagged, said Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was likely responsible.
Seafarers interviewed in India said they ultimately returned home with little if any money to show for their work, as well as traumatized by their experience with Iranian shipping companies, but they remained unwilling to give up their dreams of working at sea.
Pandit is searching for a job but says he will never return to Iran. “The shipping companies are total frauds,” he said.
Headlines
Edward Osagie, NIMASA spokesman, shines at 2025 National Spokespersons’ Awards in Abuja

–— emerges outstanding spokesperson in Marine and Blue Economy sector
Oyewale emerged winner in a highly competitive category that included Presidential Spokesman, Mr. Bayo Onanuga and Josephine Adokuru Mudasiru of the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA.
The Chairman of the award’s Adjudication Committee, Dr. Shaibu Husseini, while commending the nominees, emphasized that the selection process was rigorous and driven by merit.
Oyewale stood out for his infusion of finesse in strategic communication, skillful workmanship, impactful media engagements and consistency in the excellent projection of the EFCC’s image and in enhancing public understanding of the Commission’s mandate and activities.
Other winners from other categories include: Olufemi Soneye (NNPCL) as Distinguished Spokesperson of the Year (Oil and Gas), Nigerian Customs Service as Best Corporate Spokesperson Team, Kashifu Inuwa (NITDA) as Most Supportive CEO to Spokespersons (Public Sector), Femi Babafemi (NDLEA) as Outstanding Spokesperson (Security Services).
Soneye (NNPCL) beat ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi of Nigeria Police, Igo Weli-Shell Petroleum, Olumuyiwa Akande, SIFAX Group and Osagie Edward-NIMASA to emerge Spokesperson of the Year.
In his remarks, Joshua Audu Gana, Member House of Representatives congratulated the organizers for identifying and rewarding the outstanding communicators across various sectors.
The Special Guest of Honour, Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Akintunde Rotimi Jr, emphasized the need for institutions and organizations to involve spokespersons in policy formulation and decision-making processes, noting that spokespersons should be equipped with first-hand knowledge of key issues so as to enhance their effective and accurate public communication.
The National Spokespersons Awards is Nigeria’s foremost platform for celebration of excellence in public relations, strategic communication, and media management.
The award is an annual celebration of individuals and organizations that demonstrate professionalism, innovation, and impactful public communication.
Customs
Agricultural produce tops exports of 11,459 containers worth $986.4m through Apapa port in three months

Headlines
Stakeholders caution Nigeria over currency swap deal with China

-
Headlines3 months ago
UNODC seeks strategic partnership with EFCC
-
Customs3 months ago
Onyeka, Tin Can CAC, set to pursue revenue generation aggressively
-
Customs3 months ago
Nigeria Customs seeks stakeholders’ support as it launches AOE programme in February
-
Headlines3 months ago
Tinubu appoints Opeifa as MD, Nigeria Railway Corporation
-
Headlines3 months ago
EFCC discovers Yahoo training school in Benin city
-
Headlines2 months ago
Ubong Essien lectures real estate industry operators on opportunities in blue economy