$3-M ransom dropped to Somali pirates by parachute

MOGADISHU, Somalia – After reportedly receiving a $3-million ransom dropped by parachute, pirates said they released the captured Saudi supertanker Sirius Star, ending a two-month drama that helped galvanize international efforts to fight piracy off Africa’s coast.

In Manila, the Department of Foreign Affairs said the giant vessel’s 19 Filipino crewmen were safe and awaiting repatriation to the Philippines.

“All 19 Filipino seamen are in good condition,” DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Esteban Conejos Jr. said.

US Navy photos showed a parachute, carrying what they described as “an apparent payment,” floating toward the tanker, which had been held with its 25-member crew since Nov. 15.

Mohamed Said, a negotiator with the pirates, told AP by telephone the ship was released Friday and traveling to “safe waters” after the payment of $3 million, far less than the $25-million initially sought.

The owner of the Liberian-flagged tanker, Vela International Marine Ltd., declined to comment on the claim. Combined Maritime Forces patrolling the waters issued a statement saying, “It appears Somali pirates have received payment for the very large crude tanker Sirius Star.”

6 pirates drown

Six Somalian pirates drowned on leaving Sirius Star, Said told AFP by phone from Haradhere, 300 kilometers north of Mogadishu.

“Six of our boys perished at sea while coming from the released Saudi supertanker,” the pirates’ negotiator said.

Their boat had capsized after freeing the vessel and its crew, he said. Four other pirates had also gone missing after the kidnapping ended, he added.

“The small boat that was carrying those killed and eight who survived was overloaded and at high speed as we are told by the survivors; they were afraid of a chase from outsiders (foreign Navies of the Combined Maritime Forces) who invaded Somalia waters,” he said.

Part of the ransom paid to free the tanker – $300,000 – had also been on the boat and was now missing.

Haradhere resident Mohamud Aden told AFP the capsizing was an accident.

“The pirates were full of joy and partially frightened by the presence of foreign war machines and overspeeding,” he said. “That was a tragedy for the pirates.”

Bolder

The seizure of the Sirius Star, which is the size of an aircraft carrier and filled with two million barrels of oil valued at about $100 million, capped a string of increasingly audacious attacks by Somalian pirates.

Not only was it the largest ship to have been hijacked, it was taken in the Indian Ocean more than 800 kilometers southeast of Mombasa, Kenya, demonstrating growing capability on the part of the pirates.

Until then, most hijackings had occurred closer to the Somali coast in the Gulf of Aden, one of the busiest shipping channels in the world, leading to and from the Suez Canal.

Global response

International efforts to combat piracy have increased since the tanker’s capture and its release comes one day after the Navy announced that a new international force under American command will soon begin patrols to confront Somali pirates.

Over a hundred ships were attacked last year. More than a dozen with about 300 crewmembers are still being held by pirates off the coast of Somalia, including the weapons-laden Ukrainian cargo ship MV Faina, which was seized in September.

“While the potential release of the Sirius Star is undoubtedly excellent news, we must not forget that nearly 300 other merchant mariners are still being held captive. The men who attacked the ship and held the crew hostage are armed criminals and consequently, we must remain steadfast in our efforts to address the international problem of piracy,” said Commodore Tim Lowe, deputy commander of the new force.

Between 12 to14 international warships currently patrol the waters off the coast of Somalia in the Indian Ocean at all times, seeking to prevent pirate attacks on cargo vessels, according to Cmdr. Jane Campbell, spokeswoman for the Combined Maritime Forces in Bahrain.

The area they cover is nearly four times the size of Texas and despite the heavy naval presence – backed by the ships’ own reconnaissance helicopters and long-range maritime patrol aircraft – four cargo vessels have been snatched in the past month alone.

“The biggest part is coordination, because it’s such a vast area to cover,” Campbell said.

The newest mission – expected to begin operations next week – appears more of an attempt to sharpen the military focus against piracy rather than expand offensives across one of the world’s most crucial shipping lanes.

The force will carry no wider authority to strike at pirate vessels at sea or specific mandates to move against havens on shore – which some maritime experts believe is necessary to weaken the pirate gangs.

The Spanish government on Friday asked parliament to give the green light to dispatching up to 395 troops to join the mission, Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa de la Vega told a press conference.

The UN Security Council also adopted resolutions empowering foreign navies to tackle piracy and further plans are afoot to ensure all legal provisions are made for pirates to be arrested and prosecuted.

The pirates are trained fighters, often dressed in military fatigues, using speedboats equipped with satellite phones and GPS equipment. They are typically armed with automatic weapons, anti-tank rocket launchers and various types of grenades. Far out to sea, their speedboats operate from larger mother ships.

Most hijackings end with million-dollar pay-outs. Piracy is considered the biggest moneymaker in Somalia, a country that has had no stable government for decades.

A recent report by the London-based think-tank Chatham House said pirates raked in more than $30 million in ransoms last year.

The US Navy and other nations have international authority to battle pirates in the open seas and come to the aid of vessels under attack. But forces have been stymied on how to respond to ships under pirate control, fearing an all-out assault could endanger the crewmembers held hostage.

Other ships being held include the Ukrainian cargo ship, which is carrying 33 battle tanks.

Relatives of the crew say that neither government authorities nor the owner of the MV Faina are giving them any information about negotiations with the captors or their loved ones’ health. On Friday, they appealed to international humanitarian groups for help.

Pirates and Ukrainian authorities both said in December that a deal had been reached and that the seamen would be released soon.

But there has been no sign of progress since then. The pirates had originally demanded $20 million when they hijacked the Faina. – Donnabelle Gatdula, AP