Somali pirates say hijacked Bangladesh-flagged ship released after payment of US$5 million ransom

The owners of MV Abdullah say they have struck a deal with the pirates and that all the crew are safe

The release comes amid a surge in Somali pirate activity as international naval forces are diverted into the Red Sea to guard against Houthi attacks

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A group of suspected Somali pirates captured by the Indian Navy and presented to the media in Mumbai on March 23. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 6:38pm, 14 Apr 2024Updated: 6:38pm, 14 Apr 2024

Somali pirates released a hijacked ship, MV Abdullah, and its crew of 23 early on Sunday after a US$5 million ransom was paid, according to two pirates.

“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,” Abdirashiid Yusuf, one of the pirates, said.

He added the ship had been released with all its crew.

Somalia government officials did not respond to a request for comment.

The MV Abdullah, a Bangladesh-flagged bulk carrier, was carrying more than 55,000 tonnes of coal from Maputo to the United Arab Emirates when it was seized by dozens of pirates around 550 nautical miles (1,000 kilometres) off the Somali coast a month ago.

The seizure came amid a surge in Somali pirate activity, with international naval forces diverted from the Gulf of Aden into the Red Sea to guard against attacks on shipping by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels.