Somali pirates get record ransom

Naval patrols are pushing Somali pirates further away from the Somali coast

Somali pirates are reported to have received a total of $15m (£9m) in ransom money to release two ships.

They are believed to have been paid a record $9m (£5.6m) for Samho Dream, a South Korean oil tanker, and $7m (£4.3m) for the Golden Blessing, a Singaporean flagged ship.

“We are now counting our cash,” a pirate who gave his name as Hussein told Reuters news agency. “Soon we shall get down from the ship.”

The ships’ release was not confirmed.

The Samho Dream supertanker was hijacked in the Indian Ocean in April and its crew of five South Koreans and 19 Filipinos were taken hostage. It was carrying crude oil from Iraq to the US.

Andrew Mwangura, co-ordinator of the East African Seafarers Assistance Programme in Mombasa, told Reuters that the ransom would be the highest paid out to pirates since they started hijacking ships in recent years.

“They initially demanded $20m. What I can confirm is that negotiators tell me they agreed to make the drop with an amount in excess of $9m (£5.6m).

“This would be the highest sum paid out to pirates so far,” he said.

The Golden Blessing has a Chinese crew.

According to a recent report by the International Maritime Bureau, a maritime watchdog, ship hijackings hit a five-year high in the first nine months of 2010, with Somali pirates responsible for the majority.

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