Saudi tanker 'freed off Somalia'

[Bhaisahab]

Source: BBC

A Saudi supertanker that was captured by Somali pirates in November carrying two million barrels of oil has been released, reports quoting pirates say.

A regional maritime group also said pirates had left the Sirius Star, Reuters news agency reported.

A negotiator for the pirates told the BBC a $3m (£1.95m) ransom was paid.

A small plane was seen apparently dropping the ransom by parachute onto the tanker. The ship's owner has refused to comment.

The vessel, with 25 crew, is the biggest tanker ever to be hijacked.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7820311.stm

[Winterblues]

1. I can not believe some country could not locate and free that tanker.

Supposedly the Chinese and the Iranian Navies were going on Pirate Patrol. Oil tankers are HUGE ships and not easily hid. I can't believe this tanker could not have been freed without having to pay a ransom. Paying a ransom just insures this will happen again and again.

[Posteritatis]

2. The whole "hostage" thing usually reduces the rambosity of the options (nt)

[petronius]

5. It wasn't hidden. The ship wasn't attacked out of fear for the crew.

And, I suppose, they didn't want to risk damaging the ship or spilling the oil, which is much more valuabe than the ransom...

[chucktaylor]

3. Now they should blow every boat leaving the ship to smithereens.

[Eugene]

4. Guardian: Somali pirates drown with share of ransom from Sirius Star hijack

Source: The Guardian

Somali pirates drown with share of ransom from Sirius Star hijack

Agencies
guardian.co.uk, Saturday 10 January 2009 12.11 GMT

Five of the Somali pirates who released a hijacked,
oil-laden Saudi supertanker drowned with their share
of a reported $3m (£1.96m) ransom after their small
boat capsized, local sources said today.

A pirate who was not part of the pirate operation
but knew those involved, Daud Nure, said the boat
with eight people on board overturned in a storm
after dozens of pirates left the Sirius Star,
following a two-month standoff in the Gulf of
Aden, that ended yesterday.

He said five people died and three people reached
the shore after swimming for several hours.

Jamal Abdulle, a resident of the Somali coastal
town of Haradhere, close to where the ship was
anchored, also confirmed that the boat sank and
that the portion of the ransom money that had
been shared between dozens of pirates was lost.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/10/sirius-star-somalia-pirates-drown