Pirates drown with ransom share
2009-01-10 14:33
Mogadishu, Somalia - A pirate and a port town resident say five Somali pirates who released a Saudi supertanker have drowned with their share of a reported $3m ransom after their small boat capsized.
Pirate Daud Nure says 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.
He said three people reached shore after swimming for several hours. Daud Nure was not part of the pirate operation but knows those involved.
Haradhere resident Jamal Abdulle confirmed that the boat sank. Haradhere is a Somali coastal town close to where the ship was anchored.
He said the eight's portion of the ransom money was lost. It was shared between dozens of pirates.
- AP