S'pore ship paid ransom

Among the crew of the 20,000 deadweight-tonne Pramoni heading toward Kandla are 17 Indonesians, five Chinese nationals, a Nigerian and a Vietnamese.-- PHOTO: INTERNET

BRUSSELS - A RANSOM has been paid to pirates holding an Indonesian chemical tanker off the Somali coast, a spokesman for the EU's naval mission in the region said Friday.

'A ransom drop has been made,' said EU Navfor spokesman John Harbour, adding that it normally took up to 24 hours for pirates to release the ship and crew 'after the money has been counted'.

Somali pirates seized the Singapore-flagged vessel and its 24 crew members in the Gulf of Aden on Jan 1.

The ship was captured while en route to India, the first attack by Somali pirates this year.

Among the crew of the 20,000 deadweight-tonne Pramoni heading toward Kandla are 17 Indonesians, five Chinese nationals, a Nigerian and a Vietnamese.

The EU Navfor mission is tasked with escorting merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid and to protect vulnerable ships in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean. -- AFP