The MV Frigia freed by Somali pirates

(BRUSSELS2) The MV Frigia, a Turkish freighter flying the Maltese flag, was released on the morning of July 29, confirms the HQ of Atalanta, the European anti-piracy operation. Weighing 35,000 tons, she was captured by pirates on March 23, 2010 about 1000 miles (one of the furthest catches of the Somali pirates!) from the Somali coast, with a crew of 21 people (19 Turks and 2 Ukrainians). The ship was then taken over by the Turkish frigate Gelibolu.

This release was obtained at the end of a negotiation according to the lawyer of the shipowner interviewed on CNN. If the word ransom is not uttered, no one can help thinking about it.

Other releases

A tanker flying the flag of the Marshall Islands, and with a Burmese crew, theUBT Ocean, as well as a fishing vessel, the saboka, were released by the pirates on July 20. They had been captured off Tanzania, about 300 miles from Dar Es Salam for the first, on March 5, the second in the same area, 400 miles from Dar Es Salam, on March 3.

(NVP)