Bangladeshi-flagged cargo vessel MV Abdullah with its 23 crew on board crossed the risk zone of Somalia coast on Wednesday afternoon on its way to Dubai after Somali pirates freed it after 32 days reportedly on payment of ransom.
The ship that started sailing for Dubai at 3:00am after its release on April 14 and it crossed the risk zone of the Somali coast on Wednesday noon, said Mizanul Islam, spokesperson of SR Shipping, owner of the hijacked ship.
Enough security measures have been taken, including setting up iron fences, while two European Union ships were escorting the vessel, he added.
Mizan also said that the ship was expected to reach Dubai on April 22, and two crew members would reach Chattogram by air while the rest of them will come with the vessel.
MV Abdullah was hijacked by dozens of Somali pirates from the Indian Ocean and taken to the Somali coast on March 12 in a major escalation of piracy activities in the region.
Pirates attacked the MV Abdullah when it was headed for Al Hamriyah Port in the UAE, around 600 nautical miles off the Somali coast. It was carrying 58 thousand tonnes of coal from Mozambique鈥檚 Maputo port.
