Somali authorities have detained eight pirates believed to be involved in the hijacking of the Bangladeshi vessel MV Abdullah, shortly after they disembarked with ransom money. The incident unfolded after the pirates vacated the ship, which had been held with 23 sailors on board, around 3:30 AM on Saturday, April 13.
According to reports from Somali media outlet Garowe Online, the bandits were apprehended off the east coast of the autonomous region of Puntland soon after the ship`s release.
A senior official from Puntland Police confirmed the arrest of the eight individuals linked to the hostage-taking of Bangladeshi ships and crew members. However, it remains unclear whether any ransom funds were recovered from the suspects. The official expressed concerns that the payment of ransom might embolden pirates to target more vessels in the future.
Meanwhile, two pirates, speaking to Reuters, disclosed that they had received a ransom of $50 million two days prior. They stated that they were verifying the authenticity of the currency before disembarking from the ship and dividing the ransom among themselves.
