(Press TV) A chemical tanker and its North Korean crew have been released by Somali pirates after being held captive for four months, a maritime official says.
On November 16 last year, the 22,294 deadweight ton MV Theresa VIII, a Virgin Islands owned and Kiribati-flagged chemical tanker was seized in the south Somali Basin, northwest of the Seychelles with 28 crew members on board.
The vessel was released after they were paid a ransom of about $3.5 million, said Andrew Mwangura of the Kenya-based East African Seafarers Assistance Programme.
"MV Theresa VIII is now free and she is underway heading to Mombassa. She is expected here in the next three to four days," said Mwangura.
"MV Theresa VIII and her 28 North Korean crew was hijacked by pirates about 140 nautical miles northwest of Seychelles on November 16 while underway to Mombassa laden with palm oil."
Somali pirates hijacked 47 vessels and took 867 crew members as hostage in 2009. They were also held responsible for more than half of the 406 reported highjack incidents in 2009.