Pirates free Turkish ship

A Turkish bulker captured by Somali pirates over four months ago has been released after payment of a ransom.

The 35,300-dwt Frigia (built 1978) was freed early on Thursday morning from the Puntland pirate stronghold of Garacad, a lawyer for the ship's owner confirmed to TradeWinds.

Frigia.

The Malta-flagged handysize is en route to hook up with a Turkish Navy vessel which is patrolling in the region. It is then set to head for the Omani port of Salalah.

Nilgun Yamaner, a lawyer for Istanbul-based owner Karya Denizcilik, said the ship was freed at 07:25 on Thursday. TradeWinds has been told that it was closer to 05:30 local time. All 21 crew, comprising 19 Turks and 2 Ukrainians, are in good health. They will be given a medical check-up when they rendezvous with the Turkish Navy and supplies may be brought onboard.

The crew is expected to be changed when the ship reaches Salalah. It will then continue on its voyage to Thailand with its cargo of sulphur which Yamaner confirmed is in good condition.

The Turkish lawyer would not comment on the issue of a ransom. TradeWinds understands, however, that a ransom of nearly $4m was dropped onboard on Wednesday morning.

The Frigia was seized in the Somali Basin on 23 March while en route to Thailand from Egypt. It has been held since then off the Puntland town of Garacad where six other captured merchant vessels are currently being held.

Before its release, the bulker was the ship to be held the second longest of any merchant vessels still under detention. The 5,136-dwt Al Nisr Al Saudi (built 1993) was snatched in the Gulf of Aden on 1 March and continues to be held at Garacad.

In between those two hijacking was the seizure of the 9,380-dwt Norwegian chemical tanker UBT Ocean (built 2009). That vessel was the previous ship to be freed having been released on 20 July.

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