Jul 18, 2009, 18:28 GMT
Berlin - Somali pirates have released a German-owned cargo ship, the MS Victoria, with the German Foreign Ministry in Berlin confirming on Saturday it was no longer detained.
The Victoria was seized as it was passing through the Gulf of Aden, 120 nautical miles north of Boosaaso, in May. It belongs to a German company, but its entire crew of 11 were Romanian, German diplomats said.
'I can confirm the ship is no longer in the hands of the pirates,' a Foreign Ministry spokesman told the German Press Agency dpa.
The Victoria, which was reportedly carrying 10,000 tons of rice from India to Saudi Arabia, is registered in Antigua.
There was no immediate confirmation of reports that the pirates were celebrating the receipt of a huge ransom from the owners for the release of the crew and ship.
The German owners could not be contacted. Germany has never publicly admitted to paying ransoms.
The foreign ministry said attempts were still being made to free a second German-owned ship, the Hansa Stavanger, seized in early April.
'The crisis team is putting maximum effort into a solution,' the spokesman said.
The Hansa Stavanger captain appealed to Germany two week ago to save him and the crew of 23.
His wife said she will filed a criminal complaint accusing the ship owner, the Leonhardt & Blumberg company, of not doing enough, the news magazine Der Spiegel said.
'It's up to the company to end this,' she said, alleging the company was bargaining for a lower ransom.
A union representing German ships' officers, VDKS, accused the company of withholding information about the crew.
A union spokesman, Christoph Wand, said, 'The situation on board is serious. They are short of water and several of the crew are ill.'
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