Twelve Vietnamese crew who had been held by Somali pirates for more than 18 months returned to Hanoi on July 24.

They were working on Taiwan ’s fishing vessel Shiuh Fu-1 operating in the Indian Ocean while they were attacked by Somali pirates in December 2010.

Nguyen Van Thanh, Deputy Director of the Overseas Labour Management Department under the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs, said the department has instructed businesses to continue assisting all the workers after returning home.

During their custody, the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry had asked its representative offices in Asia, Africa and Europe to coordinate with relevant authorities to ensure their safety.

It also demanded that labour export companies contact the owner of the ship to solve the case and assist the families of the crew.

As soon as they were released on July 17, 2012, the 12 Vietnamese and other foreign crew were taken to Dar Es Salaam port in Tanzania by a Chinese naval ship.

The Vietnamese embassy in Tanzania sent its staff to Dar Es Salaam to provide medical services and necessities to the crew during their stay in Tanzania./.