Bangladeshi Ship & Crew Released by Somali Pirates

Early on Sunday, Somali pirates released the Bangladeshi ship, Abdullah, along with its crew of 23, following the payment of a $5 million ransom, as confirmed by two of the pirates involved.

Abdirashiid Yusuf, one of the pirates, explained to Reuters, “The money was brought to us two nights ago as usual… we checked whether the money was fake or not. Then we divided the money into groups and left, avoiding the government forces,”

The vessel had been captured in March while en route from Mozambique to the United Arab Emirates. This incident mirrors a previous situation from 12 years ago when another Bangladeshi ship was hijacked by Somali pirates and similarly had to pay a $5 million ransom for release.

Following a six-year lull, the recent months have seen a resurgence of Somali pirate activities in the headlines.

Efforts by naval forces have resulted in the liberation of fishing boats held by gunmen and the prevention of additional hijack attempts. Last month, Indian commandos successfully boarded and regained control of the Maltese-flagged Ruen, a vessel seized in December. During this operation, all 17 hostages were rescued, and 35 suspected pirates were taken to Mumbai for prosecution.

Whilst revealing global piracy statistics for Q1 last week the secretary-general of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), John Denton, stated:

“The resurgence of Somali pirate activity is worrying, and now more than ever it is crucial to protect trade, safeguard routes, and the safety of seafarers who keep commerce moving. All measures to ensure the uninterrupted free flow of goods throughout international supply chains must be taken.”