Largest ransom ever paid for Greek tanker hijacked by pirates | Chicago Chronicle

Largest ransom ever paid for Greek tanker hijacked by pirates

Chicago Chronicle Saturday 23rd January, 2010

Somali pirates have released a Greek tanker, the Maran Centaurus, one of the largest ever taken, after the ship-owners paid out millions of dollars in ransom.

It is believed that a plane dropped up to $5 million dollars in a bag onto the deck of the vessel, which would make this payment one of the largest ransoms ever.

The hijack and subsequent release of merchant vessels following the payment of ransoms has become a common occurence in the Indian Ocean waters off Somalia.

While world powers continue to patrol the waters off the troubled nation, the pirates have begun to move further out to sea.

A 'mother ship' of sorts is used to carry smaller powerboats as far as 1,800 kms from shore so that attacks may be launched on vulnerable vessels.

This may have been the case when British couple Paul and Rachel Chandler were hijacked aboard their 38ft yacht enroute to Tanzania from the Seychelles.

In an emotional telephone call with ITN, Rachel said she was prepared to die, but wanted to see her husband one last time before they killed her. The couple were seperated shortly after they were captured in October last year.

Following repeated refusals by the British government to pay the ransom demanded, the pirates have threatened to kill the couple within the next three days.

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