Incident: Buccanneer freed

The Italian tug Buccaneer and its crew of 16 is released after having been hijacked on April 11. A ransom of $2 million was reportedly paid. (Press TV, 08/11/09) One of the pirates involved said a ransom of $4 million was paid, however Italy's "Foreign Minister Franco Frattini and the ship’s owner denied a claim by the pirates that a ransom was paid." (Bloomberg, 08/10/09) Somalia's Governor Mohamed Said Nur of Sanag says no ransom was paid but that the pirates were reimbursed the cost of "sustain[ing] the 16-member crew" - $270,000. (AP, 08/11/09)