Durban - A South African couple who were kidnapped over a year ago off the African coast have apparently been sold to new kidnappers who are now demanding a higher ransom for their release.
Aid organisation Gift of the Givers revealed that the pirates who originally kidnapped Bruno Pelizzari and Deborah Calitz had sold them to another gang of pirates who then also sold them to other people, The
Times reported.
The aid organisation has been negotiating on behalf of Pelizzari’s family to secure their release.
A spokesperson said they had found out that the couple had been sold twice and were now being held by Somali “businessmen” wanting to recover the money they had spent buying the couple.
It is believed that the couple have been moved further south of Mogadishu.
The first kidnappers had demanded $4m (about R30m). The latest ransom amount is many more millions.
The couple are said to be healthy, although a bit rundown.
Family members say they were raising funds to pay the kidnappers, but have nowhere near the amount demanded by the pirates.
