Mogadishu: Somali pirates today freed the
Greek supertanker VLCC Maran Centaurus, one of the largest
ships ever hijacked, after a plane dropped at least five
million dollars in ransom on the deck.
The ransom, also one of the largest ever paid, sparked
a deadly feud within the group of pirates delaying the release
of the ship and its crew of 28 seamen who were taken in the
Indian Ocean on November 29.
"She's free. She's preparing to sail out" from the
pirate lair of Harardhere, Andrew Mwangura of the East African
Seafarers Assistance Programme told a news agency.
Pirate sources in Harardhere said the huge ship was
still anchored off Harardhere on Monday apparently receiving
last-minute technical assistance from a nearby foreign
warship.
Ecoterra International, an environmentalist NGO that
monitors illegal maritime activity in the region, said the
last pirates left the very large crude carrier (VLCC) early
today.
"The stash of the record-breaking ransom (over seven
million dollars) is reportedly now held in a heavily guarded
house in Harardhere," the group said in a statement.
It added that pirates reportedly bragged about
generously giving USD 500 to each crew member -- 16 Filipinos,
nine Greeks, two Ukrainians and a Romanian -- "for good
cooperation".
PTI
New Delhi: State-run gas utility Gail (India) Monday said its net profit jumped over three-fold to Rs 860 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2009, over the same period last year.
Turnover rose to Rs 6,187 crore for the third quarter ended December 31, against Rs 5,812 crore in the same period previous fiscal, Gail (India) Ltd said in a release.
Shares of Gail were trading at Rs 437.70 on the BSE, up 2.87 per cent from its previous close.
PTI
First Published: Monday, January 18, 2010, 16:07
