Pirates release cargo ship

2010-02-02 13:09

Athens - Somali pirates released the Greek-owned cargo ship MV Filitsa and its 22 member crew after a ransom was paid and delivered, officials said on Tuesday.

Greek radio reports said the pirates released the Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship which was seized on November 11 after receiving a sum of $3m. The crew, which consisted of 19 men from the Philippines and three from Greece, were all safe.

Last month another ship, the Greek-flagged oil tanker Maran Centaurus was released after it was hijacked north-east of Seychelles.

The vessel and crew were released after an aircraft air-dropped the ransom - believed to be between $5.5m - $7m - the largest paid so far for a vessel held by Somali pirates.

Piracy is rife off the Horn of Africa nation of Somalia, which has not had an effective central government since 1991.

The International Maritime Bureau said last week that worldwide piracy attacks increased 39% in 2009, with Somali pirates accounting for more than half.

Heavily-armed gangs from Somalia take to the seas in search of multimillion-dollar ransoms despite the presence of over a dozen international warships, which were dispatched to the Gulf of Aden last year to combat the piracy.

The pirates have expanded their operations further out into the Indian Ocean to avoid the patrols.

- SAPA