Somali authorities arrested at least eight pirates who reached the shore after releasing the hijacked Bangladeshi cargo ship MV Abdullah, reports Somalia鈥檚 online media Garowe Online on Sunday.
According to an unnamed high-ranking officer of the Puntland Police Force quoted by the media, the police apprehended eight pirates on the East Coast of Puntland, confirming that they were members of the group responsible for the hijacking of MV Abdullah.
However, the officer did not confirm whether the money paid by the Bangladeshi company to secure the cargo ship's release was recovered, the report stated.
The Somali media report mentioned that, without any confirmed sources, MV Abdullah was released after a ransom of $5 million was paid.
On March 12, a group of armed Somali pirates seized control of MV Abdullah while it was en route to Al Hamriyah Port in the United Arab Emirates. The ship was transporting a cargo of coal from Mozambique's Maputo port.
The vessel is owned by SR Shipping Lines, an organisation affiliated with the Chattogram-based Kabir Steel and Rerolling Mill Group.
MV Abdullah, with its 23 crew members onboard, was carrying approximately 58,000 tonnes of coal at the time of the hijacking. The pirates freed the ship early Sunday.