Pirates hold Indians: Ransom money seized

New Delhi: In a jolt to the efforts to secure realise of Indian sailors in captivity of the Somali pirates, the Somali authorities have confiscated the ransom amount that was to be used to secure the release of two vessels in Somali waters.

MV Yuan Xiang and MV Suez were hijacked by pirates in last August in the Gulf of Aden and there are six Indian sailors on board MV Suez. Six foreign nationals have also been detained.

The negotiations are being aided by well-known Pakistan-based human rights campiagner Ansar Burney.