The Hindu Business Line : Hijacked ship set free

An Indian ship, "Bhaktisagar'', which was hijacked by pirates off Somali coast in February, was released three days ago after paying a ransom of $25,000, a senior official of the Indian Coast Guard said here on Monday.

The official, however, clarified that he had no official confirmation from the company, but information from other sources had confirmed that the vessel and the crew had been set free by their capturers.

According to reports, Bhaktisagar, which was sailing from Porbandar to Dubai via Somalia, has been hijacked in the Somalian waters along with its 22-crew members including the captain in the third week of February. The ship belongs to a Gujarat-based shipping company.

Shipping company sources, however, said that Bhaktisagar was not hijacked by pirates but was held up following a dispute between owners of the ship and the charterer.

The Indian Coast Guard official said there had been several such piracy cases in the Somalia coast in the recent past. In fact, the nautical advisor to the Union Government last week issued a warning to shipping lines including sailing vessels and fishing vessels not to enter the coast of Somalia. They have been asked to keep their vessels a distance of at least more than 200 nautical miles from the coast.

The International Maritime Organisation and the International Maritime Bureau have also issued warnings against sailing along the Somalia coast.