Pirates free Thai ship after ransom paid

[Admin]

Pirates free Thai ship after ransom paid  
Bangkok Post: 8 Mar 2010
Pirates free Thai ship

Somali pirates have freed a Thai fishing vessel they had held for more than four months, after receiving a $3 million (97.9 million baht) ransom.

"We have released the ship after we received $3 million in ransom," a pirate named Hassan told Reuters. "The crew have safely moved from the Somali coast."

The Thai-flagged Thai Union 3, a tuna fishing vessel belonging to Asia's biggest canned tuna exporter, Thai Union Frozen Products, was seized on Oct 29, 2009, with 23 Russians, two Filipinos and two Ghanaians on board.

EU Naval Force spokesman John Harbour confirmed the ship had been released. He did not say where the freed ship might have been headed after its release.

The boat was hijacked in the Indian Ocean about 320km north of the Seychelles and 1,050km from the Somali coast.

Lawlessness in Somalia has allowed piracy to flourish off the country's 3,100km coastline.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/34065/pirates-free-thai-ship

[nookiebear]

'Thai-Flagged'........but not one Thai on board!!!!!!!!!!!!!