A six-man crew held hostage by Somali pirates for over two years has beenfreed following the payment of a ransom, the ship's Danish owners said on Tuesday.
The crew comprised of two Danish nationals, including the captain, and four Filipinos.
``The past two years have been extremely traumatic and dehumanising for our crew and their families,’’ said Claus Bech, chief executive of the shipping company Shipcraft.
Bech planned to visit the crew, who are currently recovering from their ordeal at an undisclosed location.
The six were abducted from the 67 metre-long vessel the Leopard, which was attacked in January 2011 off the coast of Oman.
It was later found abandoned when it was boarded by Turkish military personnel taking part in international efforts to patrol sea lanes off the Horn of Afica.
The crew members were taken to mainland Somalia, from where they were moved to different locations.
According to broadcaster TV2 a deal was sealed on April 14 between the shipping company and the pirates to pay a ransom in two instalments.
Danish media have suggested that the pirates had demanded a ransom of six million dollars per crew member.
While not mentioning a specific sum, Bech said that ``Shipcraft has paid considerable millions, substantially more than previous kidnappings where Danish citizens have been involved.’’
Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt and Foreign Minister Villy Sovndal welcomed the release, with Sovndal insisting that the Danish government had not been involved in the negotiations.
``The past two years have been extremely traumatic and dehumanising for our crew and their families,’’ said Claus Bech, chief executive of the shipping company Shipcraft.
Bech planned to visit the crew, who are currently recovering from their ordeal at an undisclosed location.
The six were abducted from the 67 metre-long vessel the Leopard, which was attacked in January 2011 off the coast of Oman.
It was later found abandoned when it was boarded by Turkish military personnel taking part in international efforts to patrol sea lanes off the Horn of Afica.
The crew members were taken to mainland Somalia, from where they were moved to different locations.
According to broadcaster TV2 a deal was sealed on April 14 between the shipping company and the pirates to pay a ransom in two instalments.
Danish media have suggested that the pirates had demanded a ransom of six million dollars per crew member.
While not mentioning a specific sum, Bech said that ``Shipcraft has paid considerable millions, substantially more than previous kidnappings where Danish citizens have been involved.’’
Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt and Foreign Minister Villy Sovndal welcomed the release, with Sovndal insisting that the Danish government had not been involved in the negotiations.
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