Yes, and many! Between January and May 2011 alone, more than 200 pirate attacks were registered in the world. The data are from the IMB, which stands for “International Maritime Office”, a division of the International Chamber of Commerce that fights all types of crimes and bad practices related to business. Of course, today’s buccaneers don’t run after treasure chests. Their targets range from small cargo ships to large oil tankers. By far the most profitable and successful type of attack is the kidnapping of passengers for ransom. There are four regions in the world that concentrate most of these actions. And one of the main points is the coast of Somalia, in East Africa. Check out how a typical pirate attack takes place in this area.
NO MAN’S SEA
Distress call lures victims into unpoliced waters
1- A typical attack in Somalia takes place in the Gulf of Aden. The target ship is lured into the territorial waters of the African country by means of a distress call – via radio or flares. The allegedly defective bait is often a fishing boat.
2- When the victim’s ship leaves international waters to provide assistance, the bait vessel lines up on a collision course with it. While the target of the attack is distracted, trying to avoid the crash, pirate speedboats appear at high speed and surround the ship.
3- One of the speedboats can line up with the target ship so that a pirate fires a machine gun burst, warning and intimidating the victims. Faced with the armed threat, the ship stops. The speedboats, then, approach it, the pirates enter and surrender the people.
4- After taking control, the pirates take the ship close to the coast, well away from international waters. There, they initiate contact with the company that owns the vessel or with the government of the victims’ country, demanding a ransom to release them.
5- The division between territorial and international water helps the action. Even if there is a warship from another country close to the attack, it cannot enter Somali territorial water without authorization. The unstable Somali government, meanwhile, is unable to patrol its waters.
6- In about 90% of the cases, the pirates receive the ransom money – there are reports of payments of up to 1.5 million dollars! They release the hostages in groups and they go to a boat owned by the authorities who negotiated the payment. The story ends with a happy ending… for the pirates.
RISK ZONES
Four regions concentrate the main attacks in the world
Territorial waters of countries with weak governments, sometimes in civil war, attract pirates. This is the case of the Gulfs of Aden and Guinea. The Caribbean and the Strait of Malacca are places of important
trade routes and with many islets to hide. The peak of modern piracy was in 2003, when more than 400 attacks took place, killing at least 16 people.
WHAT A SWORD, WHAT A NOTHING!
Armory of bandits even has a type of bazooka
MACHETES
These machetes are used a lot by pirates, but serve more as a psychological intimidation tool.
AK-47
Capable of firing 600 rounds per minute, the world’s most widely used assault rifle is also the firearm of choice for modern buccaneers.
PKM
A light machine gun (weighs 7.5 kilos), the PKM can be tripod mounted on fast attack boats.
RPG 7
Very efficient in firing up to 300 meters, this rocket launcher is used by pirates because it is simple to operate and has a low cost.
READ TOO
– How was the attack of a pirate ship?
– The seven most terrible pirates of the seas