Somali pirates drown with ransom after freeing Saudi supertanker
- On 16/01/2009
- In Maritime News
- 0 comments
From The Telegraph
Residents and pirates in the Somali port of Haradhere told the Associated Press that the boat, which was carrying eight men, overturned in a storm after dozens of pirates left the Sirius Star following a two-month standoff in the Gulf of Aden.
Three of the eight pirates managed to swim to shore but five were believed to have drowned.
Haradhere, which has been used by pirates to launch their attacks on international vessels off east Africa, is a Somali coastal town close to where the Saudi supertanker ship was anchored.
Local sources said that the ransom payment held by the eight pirates on their get away boat had been lost at sea.
Dozens of pirates were involved in the Nov 15 hijacking of the Sirius Star, which had a £60 million cargo of crude oil. The estimated £2 million paid to release it on behalf of the ship's owners was split between many members of the gang.
The ransom was delivered on Friday by airdrop, parachuted close to the ship in a waterproof case for the pirates to collect. They were then allowed to make their escape.
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