Germany Arrests Suspected Somali Pirate Applying for Asylum

Authorities in Germany say they have arrested a Somali man suspected of being among a group of pirates who seized a German freighter four years ago.

The MV Susan K, operated by a German shipping firm, was hijacked off the coast of Oman in 2011. Pirates held the crew hostage for more than two months until their demand for a ransom of $3.5 million was met.

German news agency dpa quoted Osnabrueck prosecutor Alexander Retemeyer as saying Friday that the unidentified Somali had admitted taking part in the hijacking. He was arrested three weeks ago in a home for asylum seekers in the southern town of Reutlingen.

AP