Somali pirates claim they were paid $5 million in ransom to release a hijacked cargo ship and its 23 crew members, according to a report Sunday. “The money was brought to us two nights ago as usual … we checked whether the money was fake or not,” one of the pirates, Abdirashiid Yusuf, told Reuters. “Then we divided the money into groups and left, avoiding the government forces.” The vessel’s owner, the KSRM Group, confirmed that it “struck a deal with the pirates,” according to the BBC, which cited the AFP news agency. “We cannot say more about the money,” said Mizanul Islam of SR Shipping, …