Somali pirates have released the Maltese-flagged vessel MT Ariana and its 24 Ukrainian crew more than six months after it was seized, its Greek owner said today.
The ship, which was carrying corn and soya, was captured on May 2nd north of Magadascar en route to Iran from Brazil.
The owners said earlier today they had paid an undisclosed amount in ransom.
"The ship was released a few hours ago and the pirates have left," Spyros Minas, the head of Alloceans Shipping, said. "The ship is now sailing to the Middle East."
Earlier toady, a pirate source said a helicopter had dropped $2.6 million onto its deck.
"We have taken a $2.6 million ransom to release the Greek ship," one of the gang,
Farah, said by telephone. "We are now dividing the money and will disembark in the afternoon."
Anti-piracy operations by the European Union, NATO and several individual states have failed to deter the pirates, who are still holding 11 ships along with 283 crew.
In the latest hijacking, pirates seized the Pakistani-flagged fishing vessel MV Shahbaig on Sunday, the EU naval force said in a statement yesterday.
It was thought to have 29 Pakistani sailors on board when it was attacked 320 miles east of Socotra, an island off the Horn of Africa, the EU Navfor force said.
Reuters