PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE
Hong Kong-based shipping conglomerate Anglo-Eastern, one of the largest employers of Indian seafarers, has intensified safety measures through its dedicated Global Security Desk to protect crew members and specialised cargo vessels transiting high-risk maritime regions, particularly the Strait of Hormuz.
The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil and cargo shipping routes, is expected to face disruptions for several more months. According to the Norway-headquartered International Association of Independent Tanker Owners, between 80 and 100 sea mines still need to be cleared before the main shipping channel can be fully reopened. As a result, vessels are currently using alternative routes through Iranian and Omani waters.
Amid the volatile security situation, Anglo-Eastern’s Global Security Desk operates round-the-clock through a structured intelligence and decision-support framework to ensure the safety and welfare of seafarers aboard its managed fleet.
Swapnodeep Mondal, Group Managing Director, Operations and Shared Services at Anglo-Eastern, said the present environment demands not just more information but better interpretation of available intelligence.
“What the current environment demands is not more information merely, but better interpretation of available information and the ability to place intelligence in context, compare it across the fleet, assess it against a specific vessel and translate it into practical and timely guidance,” Mondal said.
He added that since the onset of the Strait of Hormuz crisis, the Global Security Desk has maintained daily communication with vessels while combining reports from its managed fleet with intelligence from naval authorities and private maritime security providers.
As a precautionary measure, Anglo-Eastern has instructed seafarers to switch off GPS location services on their personal mobile phones, as the signals could potentially reveal the location of cargo ships operating in the Persian Gulf and surrounding waters.
“We focus heavily on maintaining morale, providing psychological support and ensuring regular communication with our seafarers. They are also given operational guidance and geopolitical briefings to reduce confusion and anxiety,” Mondal said.
Of the more than 40,000 seafarers employed globally by Anglo-Eastern, Indians constitute the largest national group.
For the past 39 years, the company’s India operations have played a key role in educating and training aspiring merchant navy officers. With around 70 per cent of its seafarers promoted internally and an overall retention rate of 95 per cent over the past six years, Anglo-Eastern says its continued investment in human resources remains central to its long-term strategy.
