Pirates release Greek vessel
Somalian pirates have released a Greek-owned chemical tanker that was seized in late March, the vessel’s managing firm said yesterday, noting that the ship’s Russian captain and 18 Filipino crewmen were all safe and well. The Panama-flagged MT Nipayia, which had been en route from Madagascar to the Persian Gulf when it was seized off Somalia on March 25, was released on Saturday, the firm Lotus Shipping in a statement. The firm added that it would not divulge any details about the release nor whether any ransom had been paid. «Any discussions or comments on these matters is considered highly irresponsible and could endanger the lives of those crews still being held and those of crews taken in the future,» the firm’s statement added. Dozens of ships, including several Greek-owned vessels, have been taken hostage in the pirate-infested waters off the coast of Somalia over the past year. The Hellenic Navy has played a key role in a European Union initiative to curb piracy in the area.
