[Bangkok Post] Four Thai fishermen held hostage by Somali pirates for nearly five years have been released. Omar Sheikh Ali, an official in Somalia's central Galmudug administration, said, "We collected the four Thai men from a remote area."The four fishermen were among 24 crew members seized in April 2010 when pirates hijacked their Taiwan-flagged fishing vessel. Their nearly five-year captivity is the longest suffered by any victims of Somali piracy.
Ali said the men were finally able to contact family members soon after their release on Wednesday. He said, "They called their families by phone and cried and cried and cried."
Sources said a $150,000 ransom was paid but the information could not be independently verified. Mohamed Abdi, who was close to the negotiations, said, "The pirates were fed up of feeding and taking care of the hostages, they had borrowed huge sums of money."
After its capture the FV Prantalay was used as a pirate mother ship from which to launch attacks before it capsized in July 2011. Of the original 24 crew members, six died from sickness during their captivity.