Somalia pirates release Belgian ship with 10 crew members
NAIROBI. June 29. KAZINFORM Somali pirates have released a Belgian ship and 10 crew members who were hijacked in April, an international maritime body confirmed here Monday, Kazinform refers to Xinhua.
A statement from Ecoterra International said the Pompei and its10-member crew were seized north of the archipelago republic of Seychelles on April 18.
The statement said the Dutch captain and the crew of two Belgians, three Filipinos and four Croats were in good health after being freed on Sunday.
The body also said that the release of the vessel has also been confirmed by the Belgium government. It was not publicly known if the shipping company paid a ransom or the conditions of the crew members.
The Belgian-flagged, small stone dredger is carrying 1,482 gross-tonnage when it was sea-jacked.
The development came as Somali gunmen continue to defy foreign navies patrolling the waters and have collected large ransoms from shipping companies, Kazinform cites Xinhua. See www.chinaview.cn for full version.