At the time of the seajack, the Saudi Arabian-flagged tanker had 13 Sri Lankan sailors with a Greek captain. “The ship, currently docked at Salalah port in Oman, will be relieved of its crew who want to join their families following the horrible experience," said Sri Lankan Consul General Sabarullah Khan.
He added that the ship’s owner, Jeddah-based International Bunkering Company (IBCO), has made arrangements for the vessel to be taken over by a new crew. "The crew which is to take over the ship will also reach Salalah this week," Khan said, thanking the Saudi authorities and the ship’s owner for the interest shown in redeeming the ship and its crew safely from the hijackers.
“Even the salaries were paid by the Saudi employers to the crew’s family members in Sri Lanka during the period of captivity,” he said, adding that the sailors were unhurt and might need time to recover from the trauma.
The ship was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden on March 1 and arrived at Salalah port on Tuesday. The 13 Sri Lankan seamen had joined the ship in Japan in January through an agent in Colombo. The bunker barge, owned by IBCO, was on its way from Japan to Jeddah when it was hijacked.
The ransom paid to the pirates for the vessel’s release is still unknown. At a press conference held in Jeddah following the release of the vessel last week, Kamal Muhammad Arri, the ship’s owner, said ships passing through the Gulf of Aden off the Somali coast still face the risk of being attacked by pirates.
The ship’s owner urged the international community to help guarantee safe shipping in the Gulf of Oman. The shipping route is strategically placed as 30 percent of global oil production pass through it, he said.
The vessel is expected to leave shortly as soon as the crew comes from Colombo to the Omani port and then it will undertake a 10-day voyage through the Gulf of Aden to Jeddah.
Arri thanked the Saudi government, particularly the Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for helping to secure the ship’s release.
