Chinese Vessel, 18 Crew Released in Puntland- Embassy
GOOBJOOG NEWS|PUNTLAND: A Chinese vessel with a crew of 18 members that had been hijacked off the coast of Somalia has been released, the Chinese embassy in Mogadishu has said.
The embassy said the vessel was ‘had been illegally controlled by a group of armed personnel in the waters off the coast of Puntland.’
It noted that the vessel and the crew were safely rescued on January 13 with the support of the Federal Government.
According to the website, Maritime Executive, the pirates had demanded a $10 million ransom for the release of the vessel and the crew in December.
It was not clear if any ransom payments were made, but reports indicated the Chinese side had reportedly agreed to pay an initial $300,000 and later 1 million dollars for the release of the ship and its crew.