Somali pirates release Thai hostages held for 4 years

[webfact]

Somali pirates release Thai hostages held for 4 years
AFP

NAIROBI: -- Four Thai fishermen held hostage by Somali pirates for nearly four years have been released, local officials said Friday.

"We collected the four Thailand men from a remote area," said Omar Sheikh Ali, an official in Somalia's central Galmudug administration.

The four fishermen were among 24 crew members seized in April 2010 when Somali pirates hijacked the Taiwan-flagged fishing vessel FV Prantalay 12.

Their nearly four-year captivity is one of the longest suffered by any victims of Somali piracy.

Ali said the relieved men were able to contact family members soon after their release on Wednesday.

"They called their families by phone and cried and cried and cried," he said.

Residents of Galkayo, where the Galmudug administration is based, said a $150,000 ransom was paid but the information could not be independently verified.

After its capture the FV Prantalay was used as a pirate mother ship to launch attacks far out to sea before it capsized in July 2011 and the crew was taken ashore.

Of the original 24 crew members, six died from sickness at various stages during their captivity.

Another 14 crew from Myanmar were released to the government in the Somalia's northern Puntland region in May 2011 and repatriated by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Hostage Support Programme.

A further 26 hostages are still being held by Somali pirates.

Piracy off the coast of Somalia reached its height in 2011 when there were 237 incidents attributed to Somali pirates and 28 vessels hijacked.

But a combination of armed onboard guards and international naval patrols have had a big impact and last year there were no successful hijackings, according to the International Maritime Bureau which tracks piracy incidents worldwide.


-- (c) Copyright AFP 2015-02-27

[iReason]

"Four Thai fishermen held hostage by Somali pirates for nearly four years have been released"

"Somali pirates hijacked the Taiwan-flagged fishing vessel FV Prantalay 12."

Sounds like birds of a feather.

I'll bet those boys from Myanmar are happy to get home.

For more reasons than one.

RIP for the dead.

[mongoose11]

Should be a good movie..with sequel to come. Welcome home.

[Equalizer]

Took 4 years for the Thai families and many small donations to get the 4 men back. A pat on the back for the Thai authorities eh!!!

[moto77]

I don't think they've taken an American ship since those three Somalis died from lead poisoning.

[ToddinChonburi]

Rules of Engagement !!! that is the problem, send out ships with no way of defending themselves and these little weasel's show up in there little wooden boats. I watched that movie Captain Phillips and I could not believe that the crew would not carry weapons. A couple of good deer hunting rifles would have stopped those slimy dogs.

[moto77]

Rules of Engagement !!! that is the problem, send out ships with no way of defending themselves and these little weasel's show up in there little wooden boats. I watched that movie Captain Phillips and I could not believe that the crew would not carry weapons. A couple of good deer hunting rifles would have stopped those slimy dogs.

Looks like they've solved that issue though.

[Johnny S]

I don't think they've taken an American ship since those three Somalis died from lead poisoning.

+1, only thing these somalis respect are some machineguns onboard the ships to welcome them

[moto77]

[callaway]

Rules of Engagement !!! that is the problem, send out ships with no way of defending themselves and these little weasel's show up in there little wooden boats. I watched that movie Captain Phillips and I could not believe that the crew would not carry weapons. A couple of good deer hunting rifles would have stopped those slimy dogs.

Vessels are not armed. We have private security on the rig I work on here in Tanzania. The security crew onboard are not armed but the 3 vessels we have around us could start their own war. The are well and truly tooled up. We have defensive razor wire (2 levels ) all around the rig to prevent boarding if they (pirates) were lucky enough to get so close. But I am sure they would not try as prefer soft targets. Too many onboard here to control and not to forget about the shit fight they would get from all the ex marines on the 3 vessels before they got close. Easier to go for a soft target with few people and the expensive cargo. Basically they (pirates) are hard boys only when not confronted with force and have the numbers and fire power. Remind you of any other nation? 55555

[BigC]

Should be a good movie..with sequel to come. Welcome home.

Who the Thai version of Tom Hanks for star roll

[atyclb]

perhaps the thais received vocational training while in africa and can soon join african drug dealers in thailand

[Alwyn]

what a nice story to begin the day with! Excellent news

[Fat Haggis]

Rules of Engagement !!! that is the problem, send out ships with no way of defending themselves and these little weasel's show up in there little wooden boats. I watched that movie Captain Phillips and I could not believe that the crew would not carry weapons. A couple of good deer hunting rifles would have stopped those slimy dogs.

I have done MARSEC out in that region a few years back, most shipping companies had armed security on their ships, as did some Spanish flagged Tuna long line fishing boats, the transits I did, all were armed and only once did I need to fire off warning shots.

These little wooden boats are infact fibre glass and can do upwards of 20-30 knots and if there's 4-6 skiffs attacking from various directions a few hunting rifles ain't going to stop the inevitable if your vessel isn't fully prepared and hardened up.

These slimy dogs as you call them are bloody good at what they do, and have been doing it for a long time too, some were former Somalian coastguards ! They are also out of their nuts on khat most of the day too, so shooting one who is stoned isn't going to make much of an impact either with the rest of their crew.

It's great these fishermen were released but let's not forget there's hundreds of other fishermen and Seamen who are still detained off the Somali Coast.

[Bangmod]

Wondering if there were any Somalian pirates left?? Most of them have already moved to Europe as asylumseekers

[yaudah]

Rules of Engagement !!! that is the problem, send out ships with no way of defending themselves and these little weasel's show up in there little wooden boats. I watched that movie Captain Phillips and I could not believe that the crew would not carry weapons. A couple of good deer hunting rifles would have stopped those slimy dogs.

Vessels are not armed. We have private security on the rig I work on here in Tanzania. The security crew onboard are not armed but the 3 vessels we have around us could start their own war. The are well and truly tooled up. We have defensive razor wire (2 levels ) all around the rig to prevent boarding if they (pirates) were lucky enough to get so close. But I am sure they would not try as prefer soft targets. Too many onboard here to control and not to forget about the shit fight they would get from all the ex marines on the 3 vessels before they got close. Easier to go for a soft target with few people and the expensive cargo. Basically they (pirates) are hard boys only when not confronted with force and have the numbers and fire power. Remind you of any other nation? 55555

reminding of another nation? Hmm, let me think.................... Oh yes, Indonesians

[Sviss Geez]

Took 4 years for the Thai families and many small donations to get the 4 men back. A pat on the back for the Thai authorities eh!!!

" Took...many small donations to get the 4 men back."

Just make that up all on your own, eh?

[Fat Haggis]

Took 4 years for the Thai families and many small donations to get the 4 men back. A pat on the back for the Thai authorities eh!!!

" Took...many small donations to get the 4 men back."

Just make that up all on your own, eh?

I guess you didn't read about the $150,000 ransom that was allegedly paid to secure their release ?

[how241]

They only released the men after they were paid off.

[Artisi]

They only released the men after they were paid off.

Just maybe that's why they were being held captive.

[Nemesis7]

Welcome back.

[cookee68]

Took 4 years for the Thai families and many small donations to get the 4 men back. A pat on the back for the Thai authorities eh!!!

Had they been monks they would have raised that amount in a couple of days.

[bonobo]

I don't think they've taken an American ship since those three Somalis died from lead poisoning.

Actually, the Americans and Brits have some pretty stringent ROE's. They cannot engage the pirates unless certain conditions are met. Even when they are known to be pirates, for example, with weapons and gear that is marked with names of pirated vessels, unless they are caught in the act, they must be given food, water and fuel, if need be, and let go.

With the Chinese and Russians, though, things are different. After most of the crew of the Fedor Varaksin was killed, it pretty much became open-season on anyone the Russians thought might be pirates.

[tx22cb]

I don't think they've taken an American ship since those three Somalis died from lead poisoning.

Actually, the Americans and Brits have some pretty stringent ROE's. They cannot engage the pirates unless certain conditions are met. Even when they are known to be pirates, for example, with weapons and gear that is marked with names of pirated vessels, unless they are caught in the act, they must be given food, water and fuel, if need be, and let go.

With the Chinese and Russians, though, things are different. After most of the crew of the Fedor Varaksin was killed, it pretty much became open-season on anyone the Russians thought might be pirates.

I like the Russian/Chinese attitude - come near us and we'll bomb you back to kingdom come.

[risky11]

I don't think they've taken an American ship since those three Somalis died from lead poisoning.

Actually, the Americans and Brits have some pretty stringent ROE's. They cannot engage the pirates unless certain conditions are met. Even when they are known to be pirates, for example, with weapons and gear that is marked with names of pirated vessels, unless they are caught in the act, they must be given food, water and fuel, if need be, and let go.

With the Chinese and Russians, though, things are different. After most of the crew of the Fedor Varaksin was killed, it pretty much became open-season on anyone the Russians thought might be pirates.

The New World Order Elites are more firmly in control of the Americans and Brits...

[jomcondo]

Rules of Engagement !!! that is the problem, send out ships with no way of defending themselves and these little weasel's show up in there little wooden boats. I watched that movie Captain Phillips and I could not believe that the crew would not carry weapons. A couple of good deer hunting rifles would have stopped those slimy dogs.

Vessels are not armed. We have private security on the rig I work on here in Tanzania. The security crew onboard are not armed but the 3 vessels we have around us could start their own war. The are well and truly tooled up. We have defensive razor wire (2 levels ) all around the rig to prevent boarding if they (pirates) were lucky enough to get so close. But I am sure they would not try as prefer soft targets. Too many onboard here to control and not to forget about the shit fight they would get from all the ex marines on the 3 vessels before they got close. Easier to go for a soft target with few people and the expensive cargo. Basically they (pirates) are hard boys only when not confronted with force and have the numbers and fire power. Remind you of any other nation? 55555

reminding of another nation? Hmm, let me think.................... Oh yes, Indonesians

Well that's where the president of the nation was born

[moto77]

reminding of another nation? Hmm, let me think.................... Oh yes, Indonesians

Well that's where the president of the nation was born

He was born in Hawaii. Not that it would change a thing if he wasn't.

Ted Cruz was born in Canada--he acknowledges it--and he's running for president, so what's your point?