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Date: 19/04/2024

Somali pirates release vessel after ransom payment

Somali pirates released a Bangladesh-flagged bulk carrier, MV Abdullah, and its crew of 23 early on April 14, 2024 after a US$5 million ransom was paid, according to reports. The vessel’s owners, KSRM Group, negotiated with the captors and it sailed for Dubai after release. The vessel was carrying more than 55,000 tonnes of coal from Maputo to the UAE when it was seized by dozens of pirates around 550 nautical miles (1,000 km) off the Somali coast a month ago. The seizure came amid a surge in Somali pirate activity, with international naval forces diverted from the Gulf of Aden into the Red Sea to guard against attacks on shipping by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, as per the reports.

Source: Exim News Service: Dhaka, April 18