A German cargo freighter hijacked off the Somali coast in May has been released and its crew freed unharmed, its owner said on Wednesday, but declined to provide details.
The Lehmann Timber freighter, registered in Gibraltar, was seized May 28 in the Gulf of Aden with its 15 crew members from Russia, Estonia, Ukraine and Burma, the Hans Lehmann KG shipping company said in a statement.
”The master and crew are unharmed and well, and their families have been informed accordingly,” it said.
”Lehmann Timber is sailing for a safe port, where the crew will be brought ashore and given thorough medical check-ups, as well as rest and recuperation.”
The company said the ship had been bound for Suez when the hijackers seized it and ordered the crew to sail it south. It was held near the Somali coast for 41 days.
”In order not to prejudice the safety of any seafarers that might fall victim to such attacks in future, the owners will not comment on any aspect of the operation undertaken to release the crew,” it said.
The 134m-long vessel was captured on the same day as the Turkish-flagged MV Arean — owned by Arkia Company of Malta — bringing the number of freighters seized in the region in that week in May to three.
The waters off Somalia, which has not had an effective central government for more than 17 years, are considered to be among the most dangerous in the world.
According to the International Maritime Bureau, more than 25 ships were seized off Somalia’s 3 700km of coastline last year despite patrols by an international force based in Djibouti. — AFP
