ransom

The Romanian sailor onboard the ship Rim, which was captured by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean, on February 2, telephonically announced his girlfriend that the pirates are threatening to kill him Friday if the ransom is not paid.

The Somali pirates who have captured the Asian Glory ship, which also had two Romanians in its crew, allegedly demand a record $15 million ransom to release the ship, according to Ukrainian intelligence sources quoted by the Bulgarian News Agency.

Somali pirates on Saturday released a German-owned vessel and its crew, which also includes eleven Romanian sailors, after they received a $1.8 million ransom, pirate sources and officials said Saturday.