Somali-Hijacked Bulgarian Sailors Return Home

The MV Panega was hijacked by pirates even though it was part of an internationally guarded convoy. Photo by EU Navfor

The 15-member crew of the Bulgarian ship Panega, hijacked in May by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden, arrived at Varna at 8 pm local time on Wednesday.

The Spartan military plane sent to bring back the sailors set off in the morning from Salala in Oman and after refueling in Egypt it was back to Varna Wednesday evening.

Most of the crew come from the Varna region. ???

On May 11, 2010, the MV Panega became the first ever Bulgaria-flagged ship to be hijacked by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden.

Last Thursday it was announced that pirates had released it, and that the crew is well and is taking over.

The ironic part of the story is that the ship was heading to be cut for scrap when it was hijacked.

After being freed, the ship sailded to the port of Salala in Oman, where the crew was replaced by 15 new Bulgarian sailors flewn with the plane that is to bring back the kidnapped crew.

They will sail the ship to India, where it will be scrapped.

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