Croatian Sailor Kidnapped by Somalis Is Well

According to unofficial sources, the Croatian sailor and other crew are well, but the Somali pirates still have not asked for ransom.

ZAGREB, CROATIA – The fate of a Croatian sailor and the remaining crew of an Italian tugboat which was hijacked by Somali pirates in the Bay of Aden on Saturday is still unknown. According to unofficial sources, the crew are well and the Somali pirates still have not asked for a ransom. 

Predrag Brazzoduro, the general secretary of the Croatian Seafarers’ Union, hopes the 25-year-old Croatian sailor from Rijeka will be freed soon.

According to unofficial information and from available channels of the Italian Foreign Ministry, the crew members are doing well and the Somali pirates still have not demanded a ransom.

Mario Dragun

- As far as I know the kidnappers have not demanded a ransom yet, but allegedly some action has begun which will lead to negotiations and in the end our sailor will come home safely – Brazzoduro said.

The sailors are well 

The Croatian Foreign Ministry says that the Croatian Embassy in Rome has been in constant contact with the Italian Foreign Ministry’s crisis management.

- According to unofficial information and from available channels of the Italian Foreign Ministry, the crew members are doing well and the Somali pirates still have not demanded a ransom. Our embassy in Rome is monitoring the development of events and is realising international cooperation so the situation may unfold in the best way for the crew members and owners of the Buccaneer ship – foreign ministry spokesman Mario Dragun said.

Apart from a Croatian sailor, there are ten Italian and five Romanian citizens as crew on the ship. During the hijacking the crew members managed to send an e-mail to the shipping company’s owner saying they were being attacked by pirates.