The Somali pirates holding the Saudi oil tanker Sirius Star and its crew have moved the ship further north. The move puts them only 20 miles (32km) from the MV Faina, a hijacked Ukrainian cargo ship carrying tanks.
BBC correspondents say while this puts them closer to US Navy ships shadowing the Faina, the area also has a greater concentration of other pirates.
It comes a day after one of the pirates told the BBC they had no intention of harming the 25 crew members on board. The man, calling himself Daybad, told the BBC Somali Service via telephone that the pirates had not negotiated with the Sirius Star’s owners, but spoken to intermediaries who “cannot be trusted”.
The ship’s Polish captain was also able to speak to the BBC, although under the scrutiny of his captors.
He said his crew were in good shape and had been allowed to talk to their families. The ship has been held off the Somali coast for the past 10 days. Also on Monday, a group of tanker owners called on the UN to co-ordinate naval patrols off the coast of Somalia.
SOURCED FROM BBC
Filed under: AFRICAN CRIME AND JUSTICE, AFRICAN NEWS | Tagged: EAST AFRICA NEWS, PIRATES, SAUDI VESSEL SEIZED IN SOMALIA, SOMALI PIRATES, SOMALIA
