Five Somali pirates were drowned at sea yesterday when a wave washed off their getaway boat as they squabbled over how to split their $3 million bounty they had just received from Saudi Arabia.
The ransom had been paid to the pirates to end the world's biggest recorded ship hijacking.
The canisters full of cash was parachuted onto the ship, the Sirius Star and the two-month ordeal of the 25 crew, including two Britons, was finally over.
The pirates originally wanted more than £16 million and ten kegs of rum to release the boat and its £65 million load of oil. Eventually they accepted the offer of $3 million and a rack of some good port with three wheels of stilton.
But as they made off they continued to fight about the payout.
Two of them swam and survived and made off in a smaller boat. One is still missing, with the cash.
The weather was so terrible that it blew the boat over and it sank.
It is not known what happened to the money or those others who survived. But two were seen landing at a nearby island where it appeared that a single, very tall peg-legged survivor shot the other.
