MOGADISHU, Somalia, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- Somali pirates were expected to issue ransom demands for a British couple captured by gunman in the Indian Ocean last week, the BBC reported Friday.
Paul and Rachel Chandler, of Tunbridge, England, were taken hostage Oct. 23 and their empty yacht was found later in international waters.
Pirates were holding discussions and a hostage demand was "imminent," possibly Friday, the British broadcaster reported. The couple were traveling to Tanzania from the Seychelles when pirates boarded their yacht.
Paul Chandler, 59, was permitted to speak to the BBC Thursday and said he and his 55-year-old wife were being treated well.
After boarding the yacht while the Chandlers slept, the pirates forced them to sail towards Somalia. Paul Chandler said the couple were being held on a Singapore-registered container ship seized by the pirates earlier in October.
Commander John Harbour, a spokesman for the European Naval Force Somalia, said pirates often take trade ships but recently seized a couple of yachts, taking the crews prisoner, the BBC said.
"They know lives are worth a lot of money," Harbour said, warning negotiations could take months.
