JEDDAH: Officials at Vela International, the Dubai-based Saudi Aramco subsidiary that owns the Sirius Star supertanker that was released by Somali pirates late Friday, said yesterday the ship's crew is safe and heading home.
"Throughout this ordeal, our sole objective was the safe and timely release of the crew and that has been achieved," Saleh K'aki, president and CEO of Vela, told Arab News.
Minister of Oil and Mineral Resources Ali Al-Naimi confirmed that the tanker had been freed and was heading out of the area yesterday. "We have information confirming that the whole crew of the ship is safe and that the ship is on its way out of Somali regional waters," Al-Naimi said in a statement.
K'aki said the crewmembers would soon be reunited with their families.
"Alhamdulillah, I am overwhelmed with joy; it will only be complete when he safely walks in through the front door," Mousa Al-Hamza, the father of the only Saudi crewmember on board the Sirius Star, told Arab News by telephone. "It's been a tough two months for those who have had their loved ones in this situation. I thank the Saudi government, Saudi Aramco, Vela and all who took part in assuring a safe release of the ship."
Vela International reportedly paid $3 million in ransom, a figure given by port officials in Haradheere, not far from where the supertanker was anchored during the ransom negotiations. Vela, however, has not made any statements related to the ransom negotiations. US Navy photos released on Friday showed a parachute, carrying what was described as "an apparent payment," floating down to the tanker. Five pirates reportedly died shortly afterward as the boat they were using capsized during their departure from the ship.
The capture of the 330-meter-long supertanker in November drew attention to a surge in piracy off Somalia that has brought global navies rushing to protect one of the world's most important shipping lanes. The Sirius Star was taking the longer alternative route around Africa to avoid the piracy hotspot in the Gulf of Aden.
The capture surprised anti-piracy law enforcement and belied the belief that the pirates could only operate near the shores off Somalia. It is now understood that the pirates are capable of carrying out sophisticated operations involving the use of mother ships that can deploy smaller, faster vessels much further from shore than previously thought. The wide range of the operations has made predicting the next pirate encounter difficult for global maritime law enforcement.
By Samir Al-Saadi
© Arab News 2009
