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A Chinese cargo ship and its crew of 25 were rescued from Somali pirates Monday, state media said, after their kidnappers collected a ransom of 3.5 million dollars (2.2 million euros).
The bulk carrier Dexinhai, hijacked on October 18 northeast of the Seychelles as it was sailing to India from South Africa, was freed at 2:33 am (1833 GMT), the Xinhua news agency reported, citing government officials.
The vessel, owned by Qingdao Ocean Shipping, had been taken to the Somali coast, between the pirate lairs of Harardere and Hobyo, where it laid at anchor with other captured vessels and negotiations on its fate began.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said the hijacked vessel was under the protection of the Chinese naval escort fleet, according to the report.
"After the medical checkup of crew members and resupply of provisions, the fleet will escort the ship and the crew to a safe sea area, and then ensure their safe return to China as soon as possible, according to Jiang," Xinhua said.
Earlier, pirate leader Mohamed Rage told AFP by telephone: "We have been discussing with the Chinese ship owners for several weeks and they finally agreed to pay 3.5 million dollars."
"The money will be brought today so that we will free the ship within today once we get the money," he said, adding that the all-Chinese crew has been treated "humanely".
"The pirates are releasing the cargo today after they get the ransom agreed," a second pirate, Abdi Yare, told AFP by telephone from Harardhere.
Abdi Yasin Dhubane, a fisherman in the Harardhere area, said all pirates with a stake in the Dexinhai were seen boarding it on Saturday -- suggesting that a deal had been concluded.
"All the pirates who seized the ship are on board now and they are ready to receive the ransom to free the ship," Dhubane said.
The Dexinhai was seized more than 1,000 kilometres (550 nautical miles) from the Somali coast, showing the range of action of pirates in the Indian Ocean despite the efforts of a European Union naval task force.
Through its foreign ministry, the Chinese government had said it was doing all it could to recover the ship and its crew.
On December 17, pirates freed a Greek-flagged cargo ship, the MV Delvina, and its crew of 14 Filipinos and seven Ukrainians, 43 days after it was seized northeast of the Comoros Islands while en route from Ukraine to Kenya.
Its Dutch operators said nothing about a ransom, but Russia's Interfax news agency quoted the head of Ukrainian intelligence as saying that 3.5 million dollars -- half of what had been demanded -- was paid.
