Hijacked Ship: Ransom Reduced as Crew member Dies

by Jordan Yerman | September 28, 2008 at 08:15 am

111 views | 2 Recommendations | 0 comments

The captain of a ship carrying military equipment, hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia, has told the AP that one crewmember is dead. Meanwhile, the pirates have reduced their ransom demand, apparently realizing that asking for $35 million would only encourage an armed response; though the demand has dropped to $5 million, such a reprisal is still not off the table. For Ukraine I(and Kenya, the purchaser of the weaponry), it's not just about money, but also about a boatload of tanks entering the black market.

Nikolsky said via a satellite phone that a Russian sailor died Sunday due to hypertension. Other crew members were fine though, he said adding that he could see three ships about a mile away, including one carrying an American flag.

The pirates initially demanded $35 million and no military action, said Andrew Mwangura of the Kenya Seafarers Association. They decreased their demands for several reasons, Mwangura said.

Those reasons include that the crew is from eastern Europe and not the United States, the weapons the ship carries are secondhand, and there is no way to unload the tanks without coming onto land, he said.

The vessel Faina, flying a Belize flag, was headed to the Kenyan port of Mombasa after departing Nikolayev, Ukraine, according to Lt. Col. Konstantin Sadilov, spokesman for the Ukrainian defense ministry. He said it was seized by pirates Thursday not far from its destination.