Pirates release vessel after undisclosed ransom is paid
December 5, 2011
Somali pirates have released the Singapore-flagged cargo vessel Gemini, after receiving a ransom, but are continuing to hold four South Korean crew members, it has been revealed.
“The ransom has been paid, but nobody knows how much,” said Andrew Mwangura, a regional piracy expert.
“The ship is still there and the four Korean crew members were taken ashore.”
Mwangura said the vessel, which was seized on 30 April with a crew of 25 from South Korea, Indonesia, Myanmar and China, was expected to set sail shortly.
The release of the vessel reduces to nine the number of ships being held by the pirates who have plagued shipping lanes in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, according to statistics released by the EU’s anti-piracy mission, EU Navfor.
The number of vessels held has fallen this year as the pirates struggle to take vessels in the face of better security practices by shipping firms.
Courtesy of IFW
