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Pirates move some of Spanish trawler crew to Somalia
By m.p. - Nov 5, 2009 - 11:51 AM
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The Alakrana - EFE archive
They claim 3 hostages have been handed over to the families of the 2 pirates held in Spain
There are fears for the safety of the crew of the Basque tuna trawler, the Alakrana, after the news from relatives this Thursday morning that some of the crew have been handed over to the families of the two pirates held in custody in Spain.
The wife of one of the fishermen said after talking to her husband that three of the crew had been taken to Somalia. Silvia Albés said the pirates who have been holding the Alakrana since the beginning of October have threatened that more of their hostages could follow if their colleagues are not released by the Spanish authorities. She was told by her husband that there is now no drinking water left on board.
The news came after the pirates fired several shots into the air from the Alakrana and launched a grenade into the sea, to warn off, the pirates said, a Spanish frigate which is reported to be some 50 miles from the trawler. Sources at the Defence Ministry quoted by Público said it happened while the crew were talking with their families, after being ordered to do so by their captors, as a means of stepping up pressure. No injuries were reported after the incident.
It’s understood the government has called an emergency meeting this Thursday.