The first picture that comes to your mind when you think of
pirates is cool people who know nothing more than the sea, beer and women. Ask
any kid who has watched Pirates of the Caribbean and they would probably tell
you they want to be a pirate when they grow up.
Romanticism in piracy is only a thing of the movies and the novels
though; out there it is real terror. From Sumatra to Somalia piracy is not a
lovable trait to possess. In fact world governments are ready to spend a
fortune to crush the vice. Modern pirates are ruthless people who prey on weak
crews and rob them or hold them for ransom.
Cargo ships and fishing vessels are high targets of the
pirates. While cargo may not be of much interest unless one has ready markets,
the money that crews carry for exorbitant port fees is. Ransom money that is
paid by governments or relatives of the captives is also an attraction to the
trade.
Ships can also be stolen, repainted for new identities and
ownership changed through fake papers. In such case pirates usually attack a
vessel armed with guns, grenades or even rocket launchers. They then leave the hapless
crew on a speed boat or canoe or even marooned in some island.
Most pirates attack ships when they slow down to navigate
narrow straits. A good example of this is the Strait of Malacca a narrow
stretch of waters that spans from western Malaysia to the Indonesian island of
Sumatra. When ships slow down, they can easily be overtaken and captured by the
use of speed motor boats.
Piracy in Somalia escalated between 2008 and 2012. Accounts
of survivors revealed that these pirates were indeed more dangerous than the
ones that we read in history books. They had larger and more sophisticated
weapons and considering the lack of a good government ashore, their activities
went largely unchecked. Prosecuting the pirates was also very hard and a
situation known as Law-Enforcement
Vacuum created perfect conditions for the illegal trade to thrive.
Modern piracy is no
different from the past in that motives are the same, gaining of goods or
valuables that one doesn’t own.
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