Suspected Somali pirate applying for asylum detained in Germany

Germany authorities 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 paid.

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.

There are hundreds of Somali refugees in Germany and new asylum seekers in the country.

Additional Information Reuters