CHITTAGONG: After receiving sackloads of US dollars by air as ransom, Somali pirates released a cargo ship flying the flag of Bangladesh and its 23 crew members on Sunday, according to the firm and family members.
A month ago, dozens of pirates took control of the bulk carrier MV Abdullah, which was carrying over 55,000 tons of coal from Maputo to the United Arab Emirates, some 550 nautical miles (1,000 km) off the coast of Somalia.
In order to protect against attacks on ships by Yemen’s Houthi fighters, international naval troops were redirected from the Gulf of Aden into the Red Sea during the peak of Somali pirate activity that coincided with the capture.
Meherul Karim, the CEO of the ship’s owners, KSRM, spearheaded the negotiations for the ship’s release.
When the freighter carrying more than 55,000 tonnes of coal from Maputo to the United Arab Emirates was captured
He informed reporters in Chittagong on Sunday that “the pirates called us when they reached near the Somalia coast,” and that one of them knew English. He said, “He kept in touch with us until the negotiation was concluded.” “We won’t talk about or divulge the ransom money amount.” He added that early on Sunday, about 65 pirates departed the ship on nine boats, and that footage had been produced proving that every member of the crew was safe.
He stated that the MV Abdullah was being escorted by two European Union ships as it headed towards its intended destination. The crew had received a letter of safe passage from the pirates in Somalia, which guaranteed that “the ship would not come under any more attacks by pirates until it reached Dubai port.”
The wife of the ship’s master, Mohammed Abdur Rashid, Fahmida Akter Anny, claimed her husband told her that an airplane dropped three sacks full of US money to the pirates before doing three full laps around the vessel.
She stated, “They released all crew after receiving the money.” “My hubby was content.” The ship was apprehended following the first successful Somali pirate case since 2017. This occurred in December.
Since then, a number of events have raised fears that sly pirates may resume their operations in the Indian Ocean, taking advantage of a security void left by the multinational forces’ relocation.
The Houthis from Yemen have responded to Israel’s war on the Palestinians in Gaza by launching numerous strikes against Israeli-affiliated vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
Since then, naval forces from several nations, including India, Sri Lanka, and the Seychelles, have prevented further attacks and released fishing boats that had been taken by gunmen.
The Maltese-flagged MV Ruen was taken in December, but last month Indian commandos boarded and retook it some 260 nautical miles (480 km) off the coast of Somalia. Thirty-five suspected pirates were taken to Mumbai to face charges after all seventeen hostages were freed.
According to analysts, the threat posed by Somali pirates is still significantly lower than it was in 2011, when gunmen launched attacks as far as 3,655 kilometers off the coast of Somalia in the Indian Ocean.
