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Saudi owner of mv "Blida" paid pirates $2.6m to free ship crew

The Saudi owner of an Algerian cargo ship whose crew were held by Somali pirates for 10 months admitted paying $2.6m to free them in November 2011, an Algerian paper reported on May 14. The MV Blida, carrying 17 Algerians, six Ukrainians, two Filipinos, one Jordanian and one Indonesian, was captured by a gang of heavily armed pirates on January 1, 2011, on its way from Oman to Tanzania. Two of hostages were released for health reasons in October that year, with the rest freed the following month when a bag full of cash was parachuted from a plane. “The pirates demanded a ransom of $2.6m to free the sailors and the ship. The Algerian government refused to negotiate or pay a ransom,” owner Ghaith Rashad Feraoun told Arabic daily Ennahar.

sold to breakers

sold to India breakers

Technical trouble enforces change of route

On Oct 13, 2011, the "Blida" was docked in Malindi after developing mechanical problems. After a ransom of $2.6 million was paid to the criminals the ship was underway from Salala to Mombasa when the mechanical hitch happened. The crew, the majority of whom were from the Ukraine, while others were from Indonesia, Philippines Algeria Pakistan and Iran, was exchanged. Security was beefed up at the Malindi jetty as plans to inspect the ship and the crew were put in place in the evening. Embassy officials from the countries represented had to drive to Mombasa urgently to sort out with Kenyan authorities the clearance of the crew members to enable them to fly home. The ship was carrying 27,000 tonnes of chinka, a cement-like susbstance when it was hijacked. The cargo was expected to be taken to Daresalaam.