Saudi supertanker crew 'on way home'

The crew of the Saudi supertanker seized by Somali pirates are on the way home, the ship's owners say, a day after they paid a $3m (£2m) ransom for the return of the ship.

The capture of the Sirius Star and its $100m cargo of crude in November drew attention to a surge in piracy off Somalia. Farah Osman, an associate of the gang speaking from Haradheere port near where the tanker had been held, said the pirates had wanted more money.

A regional maritime group confirmed the release. "The last batch of gunmen have disembarked from the Sirius Star. She is now steaming out to safe waters," said Andrew Mwangura, of the East African Seafarers' Assistance Programme, based in Mombasa, Kenya.

There was no immediate comment from Vela International, the Dubai-based shipping arm of Saudi Aramco, which operates the ship. The Sirius Star was captured in November with 25 crew members on board, 450 nautical miles south-east of Kenya.

The crew of the Sirius Star are from Britain, Poland, Croatia, Saudi Arabia and the Philippines. The US Navy, which has had a warship close to the ship monitoring the saga, could not immediately confirm its release. "The pirates are now arguing about division of the money," said Mr Osman.