Garowe (AX) – Somali counter-terror officers in Northeastern State nabbed one of the sea bandits who attacked and commandeered the MV Abdullah, a Bangladeshi cargo vessel, along with its 23 sailors back in March this year.
On Monday, Northeastern State police declared they had captured Mohamed Sufi Rasas in Garowe town, where he had been hiding for several days. The apprehension stemmed from a tip-off regarding his location.
The authorities revealed that Rasas initially hijacked the MV Room and was subsequently moved to the MV Abdullah. They indicated he was among those who collected the ransom from the vessel. In April, Northeastern State security detained eight pirates linked to the hijacking.
Somali marauders freed the Bangladesh-flagged freighter and its crew of 23 after receiving a hefty $5 million ransom, as confirmed by two pirates.
The MV Abdullah, a Bangladeshi bulk carrier – utilized for transporting substantial cargo loads – was seized in March en route from Mozambique to the UAE. The hijacking took place approximately 600 nautical miles east of Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital.
There’s been a surge in ship seizures along Somalia’s coast lately, with over a dozen vessels hit since late November.
