Ship released by Somali hijackers

Ship released by Somali hijackers Reider Shipping said the Amiya Scan has been released by pirates in Somalia, ending a month-long hostage drama.
   “The master and crew on board the Amiya Scan, held off the coast of Somalia by hijackers since May 25, have assumed command of the vessel and is under way in the direction of Suez. Release of the vessel was achieved late evening on June 24, however it may be another week before the crew reach a safe port,” the Dutch shipping company said in a statement.
   Reider said all crewmembers are well and unharmed and that families of the four Russian and five Philippine crewmembers have all been informed. Reider managed the ship, which was chartered by Denmark’s Scan-Trans.
   The ship was hijacked on May 25 when it was some 80 nautical miles off the northern coast of Somalia. She was en route from Kenya to Romania, heading for the Suez Canal.
   Following capture of the Amiya Scan by Somali hijackers, she was then taken down the East Coast of Somalia and held offshore close to the town of Eyl.
   Though media reports said the pirates were demanding a $1 million ransom, Reider said it believed it would be “irresponsible to provide any details of the ongoing dialogue with the hijackers over the course of this incident, or to release any details of the operational issues involved. Any such details provided in the public domain could, we believe, encourage would-be pirates and add further danger to the victims of such attacks.”