WORLD> Africa
5 Somali pirates drown with ransom share
(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-01-10 21:38


A parachute dropped by a small aircraft is observed by the US Navy as it drops over the MV Sirius Star during an apparent payment via a parachuted container to pirates holding the Sirius Star off the coast of Somalia, January 9, 2009. Somali pirates freed the Saudi supertanker seized in the world's biggest ship hijacking for a $3 million ransom Friday -- but five drowned when their boat capsized as they were making off with their share. [Agencies]

Jamal Abdulle, a resident of the Somali coastal town of Haradhere, close to where the ship was anchored also confirmed that the boat sank and that the eight's portion of the ransom money that had been shared between dozens of pirates was lost. US Navy photos showed a parachute, carrying what they described as "an apparent payment," floating toward the tanker. The Sirius Star and its 25-member crew had been held since Nov. 15. Its cargo of crude oil was valued at US$100 million at the time.

The capture was seen as a dramatic demonstration of the pirates' ability to strike high value targets hundreds of miles offshore.

On the same day the Saudi ship was freed, pirates released a captured Iranian-chartered cargo ship, Iran's state television reported Saturday. It said the ship Daylight was carrying 36 tons of wheat when it was attacked in the Gulf of Aden Nov.18 and seized by pirates. All 25 crew are in good health and the vessel is sailing toward Iran, the TV report said.