Romanian Sailor Abducted by Somali Pirates In Alleged Danger To Be Killed

Adrian Mihalcioiu, sailors union leader and representative of the International Federation of Transporters in Romania, told MEDIAFAX the sailor’s girlfriend informed him Monday that Somali pirates threatened to kill the Romanian sailor unless they receive the ransom.

A similar situation occurred late-February when the same sailor telephonically told his girlfriend that the pirates would kill him if a ransom was not paid.

The Romanian Foreign Affairs Ministry said back then that a crisis group within the ministry was monitoring the ship’s situation and was in touch with the firm that owned the vessel and was negotiating with the pirates.

North Korea-flagged tanker Rim was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden on February 2, 2010 and has ten sailors on board, one of whom is Romanian.