Darin Mateev Drumev, the Bulgarian captain of the hi-jacked Malaspina Castle, stole a mobile phone from the Somali Pirates who were holding him captive.

Drumev and his Deputy Captain Nikolay Yanchev, managed to take the phone from one of the Somali pirates during the first days of their ordeal. Relations of Drumev said that this had been a huge help in securing their eventual release, Darik Radio reported Monday.

The pirates noticed that the phone was missing later and Drumev then managed to put it back where he had found it before the incident caused problems for him and his crew.

Drumev, who was born in the city of Sliven, but now lives in Varna, is a former submarine commander and the last commander of the submarine division of the Bulgarian Navy.

The 16 Bulgarian sailors will shortly arrive in Colombo, Sri Lanka, where they will be met by the Bulgarian consul from Dehli.

Meanwhile, the original reports of a USD 2 M ransom being delivered to the Somali pirates who had kept the Bulgarian sailors hostage on the Malaspina Castle have been contradicted by journalist Elena Yoncheva, who has been in the region and stated that the real sum paid was USD 2.5 M.

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