Seized vessel with 21 Pinoy seafarers reaches Somali coast — report

A Greek-owned bulk carrier with 21 Filipino seafarers that pirates seized in the Arabian Sea last Thursday arrived off Somalia's coast over the weekend.   The MV Free Goddess arrived near Garacad in Mudug Friday but has not yet anchored, news site Somalia Report said.   "According to local officials in Mudug, the vessel, which carries a crew of 21 Filipinos, has not yet anchored but is moving up and down the coast between Garacad and the village of Dhinooda, 70 kilometers southeast of Garacad," the report said, quoting pirates and local officials from Somalia’s semi-autonomous region of Puntland.   It quoted Abdikarim Kaytoun, chairman of Jariban district where Garacad is located, as saying the vessel is in Dhinooda village, becoming the third vessel there.   Pirate sources also confirmed the vessel's arrival, the report added.   “The vessel is still moving, and this group of pirates is now choosing a place as their hub,” said a pirate near Garacad.   He added the pirates are still selecting the base and the hostage guards (ilaalo). Once they do, they will discuss the ransom they will demand.   The MV Free Goddess was hijacked in the Arabian sea last Feb. 9. At the time, it was heading to Singapore from Egypt, laden with a cargo of steel cables.   The vessel is reportedly worth slightly over $8 million, and is owned by Free Seas Inc.   Removing pirates   The Somalia Report story said local officials in Garacad and Jariban district vowed to continue to remove pirates from the region. It cited sources who said the inhabitants of Garacad refused the pirates the use of the town.   “When pirates hijacked this vessel they brought it to Garacad first, but the population and our administration refused the hijackers permission to use Garacad as a base,” Kaytoun said.   Counter-piracy operations have been ongoing in and around Garacad over the last five months, with local police seizing dozens of pirates and their equipment.   However, none of the pirates have yet been taken before a court. In December, Puntland forces launched a major anti-pirate offensive and captured 43 pirates.   On the other hand, Dhinooda, a fishing village in Mudug region, has been used as a hub by pirates but locals forced them out.   Two hijacked vessels are currently being held in the Dhinooda area - MT Enrico Levoli and the MT Liquid Velvet.   Some 200 pirates operate in Garacad, while more than 300 operate in Dhinooda and small nearby village named Buq, the report said. - KBK, GMA News