Seafarer charity helped Albedo escape

UNODC and MPHRP worked together to free hostages.

Seafarer charity helped Albedo escape

A seafarer charity played a leading role in the successful escape of 11 seafarers held by Somali pirates, a former senior UN crime official told IHS Maritime.

Colonel John Steed (retd.), consultant to the UNODC’s maritime crime programme, said that the UN was responsible for the operations and logistics of the rescue and the charity Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Programme paid the expenses of the operation from money donated to it.

The seafarers were the remaining members of the 23-strong crew of 1,066teu box ship Albedo, that was hijacked 293nm west of the Maldives on 26 November 2010. The crew escaped when conditions were right, and made their way to a local militia in Galmudug and from there they were handed over to the Ministers from the Galmudug government, Steed said.

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Source: ihsmaritime360.com