Somali Pirates Got USD 2 M for Bulgarian Sailors

Somali pirates said they had received a USD 2 M ransom for the release of a British-owned vessel and its 16 Bulgarian crew.

"We got a USD 2 M ransom for the release of the British-owned ship," pirate Mohamed Saleh, from the Somali coastal village of Eyl, told Reuters on Sunday.

"A helicopter brought the money."

Somali pirates freed a British-owned ship on Saturday after being captured more than a month ago.

Its Italian operator paid the ransom, Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry said.

The 32,000-tonne bulker Malaspina Castle was hijacked on April 6. Bulgarian government officials have said the ship had a total of 24 crew, including 16 Bulgarians.

Heavily armed Somali pirates continue to attack shipping in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden despite the presence of international warships and a string of recent operations against them in recent months, some of which resulted in bloodshed, BBC commented.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!