Pirates Release MV Hannibal II for $2 Million

The EU NAVFOR reports that Somali pirates have released the Panamanian flagged chemical tanker, MV Hannibal II, after holding the vessel and crew for more than four months.

The ship was hijacked on November 11, 2010 approximately 860 nautical miles east of the Horn of Africa. The 30-crew members from Tunisia, Philippines, Croatia, Georgia, Russia and Morocco are currently sailing to Djibouti.

The Hannibal II had 31 crewmembers onboard when she was hijacked but in December one crewmember was allowed to be medically evacuated through a joint effort between the Combined Maritime Force and the EU NAVFOR. The crewmember was thought to have appendicitis and the ships captain negotiate with pirates to get him the treatment he needed.

The ships owner, Polo Navigation Ltd. reports that the crew is safe and healthy.

In a statement released Thursday Tunisia’s transport authority said that a $2 million ransom had been paid for the ship’s release.