Piracies

Suspected Cocaine Transporting Yacht

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Piracies or Organised Crime? piracies, hijackings, robbery at sea or whatever you want to call them; they are all escalating and spiralling out of control.

On 23rd November 2008. There were 14 vessels being held in Somalian ports by pirates with 268 hostages. In the first nine months of 2008 there were over 200 incidents against shipping world wide.

Three years later those figures and the number of incidents have more than doubled. There are over 500 hostages waiting for someone to pay for their release; for many that will never happen?

The request to assist in tracking down and capturing a known drug-smuggling vessel sailing from South America came from the UK's Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA).

They were working on French and Italian intelligence while the co-ordinating body was the Maritime Analysis and operation Centre (Nacotics) or MAOC(N), based in the Portuguese capital Lisbon.

And at the sharp end, the arresting authorities were to be the Cape Verde Law Enforcement Detachment, rushed to the scene by the Royal Navy.

Three days and 1,500 miles later, with the Cape Verde team picked up on the way, the Royal Navy delivered the early morning wake-up call to two surprised smugglers in the yacht "Tortuga."

Eventually they heard the Lynx helicopter that was flying just above the yacht. One head poked out of the cabin and bobbed back in, and then he poked it out again to make sure he wasn't imagining things.

The high-definition evidence camera, snapped a pair of bleary faces. For the smugglers it must have been one of those really bad waking-up mornings.

The effort proved worthwhile when the yach was lifted from the water, 30kg of raw cocaine was found stashed along the stern transmission near the rudder.

The ocean is a vast place for dubious types to hide in, and it's a long way from people's front-rooms-but the drugs on UK's streets arn't.

Modern-day Piracy

Montecristo

Pirate Mother Ship

Royal Marine Commandos, armed with pistols and SA-80 automatic rifles and operating from a Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship, the "R.F.A. Fort Victoria" sped towards a hijacked ship in inflatable boats as a British helicopter buzzed overhead.

Quickly they boarded the 56,000-ton bulk carrier "Montecristo" where the suprised pirates were disarmed without encountering any opposition.

“It was a compliant boarding, the 11 pirates surrendered without firing a shot,” said a Ministry of Defence spokesman. “They were arrested and detained on board the ship.” The ship’s 23 crew, seven Italians, six Ukrainians and 10 Indians, were released unharmed.

Four of the Italians were privately-contracted security guards, but in line with international practise they were unarmed and had been powerless to fend off the heavily armed pirates.

The crew had taken refugee inside a secure, armoured area of the bridge when the ship was hijacked, from where they were able to send out distress signals. They also continued to control the vessel’s movements, steering it towards the antipiracy forces.

The RFA vessel is part Of Nato's Operation code-named 'Ocean Shield' which is patrolling the waters off the coast of Somalia. Support for the raid was provided by a frigate from the US Navy.

“An Italian vessel in distress doesn’t necessarily have to be assisted by Italian forces,” said the M.o.D. spokesman. “This is a multinational counter-piracy operation led by Nato.” The raid struck a rare blow against Somali pirates, who in the last few years have seized dozens of vessels and made millions of pounds from ransoming their crews.

Pirates Operating From 'Mother Ships’

As well as remote ports along the Somali coast, currently hold at least 10 ships and around 250 hostages. The "Montecristo" which is owned by the Italian shipping company D’Alesio, was hijacked on Monday 17th of October 2011, some 620-miles east of the coast of Somalia. It had set off from Liverpool on 20th Sept, and was carrying scrap iron to Vietnam.

“A British helicopter flew over the bridge and the pirates gave themselves up immediately,” said Ignazio La Russa, the Italian defence minister. “Some had already thrown their weapons into the sea.” He said the pirates would be transferred to an Italian frigate, the "Andrea Doria" which is part of Ocean Shield.

He said the operation had been organised in close collaboration with his British counterpart, Liam Fox, the Defense Secretary. Franco Frattini, the foreign minister, expressed his thanks to the Royal Marines and the Royal Navy, saying the operation was a demonstration of multinational co-operation in the fight against piracy.

Earlier on Tuesday, Italy announced that in response to the growing problem of piracy, it will form a new antipiracy military task force, deploying 60 Italian Marines to Italian merchant vessels sailing around the Horn of Africa.

The force, to be divided into 10 squads of six men, and will be based in Djibouti. Although many ships already carry security personnel, disputes over the legality of them using lethal force against pirates has hampered their effectiveness.

Pirates are extending their range Operating from 'mother ships', as well as remote ports along the Somali coast, they have terrorised shipping in the Gulf of Aden and around the Horn of Africa, roaming far out into the Indian Ocean.

Helicopter operation

The D'Alessio Group-owned cargo ship, carrying scrap metal, had been making its way from Liverpool to Vietnam when it was intercepted by pirates.

However, crew members were able to lock themselves in the strong room from where they could control the engine and steer the ship.

The Royal Navy team was able to board the Montecristo without meeting resistance Italian defence minister Ignazio La Russa said: "The criminals managed to cut off all means of communication, but the 'prisoners' tossed a bottle with a message through a porthole explaining the situation."

This gave an important signal the crew were out of harm's way and that an operation could be launched without risking injury, he said, adding that helicopters were used in the rescue. The suspected pirates would be handed over to the Italian authorities, Mr La Russa added.

A UK Ministry of Defence spokesman said the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship "Fort Victoria" currently on Nato counter-piracy operations east of Suez, and a US frigate were sent to help the seized vessel.

"Due to the presence of the warships, 11 suspected pirates on- board the pirated vessel surrendered without force," he said.

Piracy Costs Millions

Defence Secretary Liam Fox paid tribute to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines personnel involved, and said the operation demonstrated the "global presence" of UK armed forces.

"Piracy puts lives at risk and costs the maritime industry millions of pounds every year. The Royal Navy is at the forefront of international efforts to battle this menace," he added.

Somali pirates are known to capture vessels in the Indian Ocean in the hope of obtaining a ransom for the safe return of crew members.

They are also believed to have captured Judith Tebbutt, a 56- year-old woman from Hertfordshire, in September. Her husband David was shot in front of her at a remote beach resort on the north Kenyan coast.

And in 2010, Paul and Rachel Chandler from Tunbridge Wells, were released after being held captive for more than a year.

Piracy Season

Karen Jacques, from Dryad Maritime Intelligence Services which monitors the threat of piracy, said the "piracy season" had only just begun, with the end of monsoon weather making life easier for hijackers.

Every indication was that the number of hijackings could increase this year, she said. "The stakes have got higher, the ransoms that have been paid have been higher but the good news is; that it seems the shipping industry is braced for it and are ready," she added.

Mr La Russa had earlier indicated that 10 teams of six Itaian Marines could soon be stationed on Italian merchant vessels sailing in high-risk areas in a bid to combat piracy.

In July, Foreign Office Minister Henry Bellingham told a committee of MPs that limited resources in the light of current military commitments could not allow Royal Marines to do the same.

However, he said the government was considering allowing private armed guards to be posted on British merchant vessels. Somalia has been gripped by fighting between various militias for two decades, so weapons are widely available and there are many armed groups who could be responsible for hijackings.

Pirates Bring Shame On Somalia

Most Somalis will tell you they are disgusted by the cruelty of the pirates who are holding Judith Tebbutt. The 56-year-old from Hertfordshire saw her husband David shot in front of her at a remote beach resort on the north Kenyan coast.

One respected elder was so angered he spoke out on a local radio station to condemn the kidnap and to call for the British woman's swift release.

"This action would definitely spoil the image of the millions of good Somalis across the globe," said Imam Omar Moalin Abshir. "What hurt me is the fact that they have killed her husband as well as denying her, her freedom.

"I feel the worst thing you can do to someone is to deny them their freedom. That itself is a big crime."

Ransom payments

In 2008 pirates captured another British couple, Paul and Rachel Chandler. They were held for 13 months until a ransom was delivered. Although significantly lower than the initial demand of $7m (£4.5m), it was reported to be around $1m (£650,000).

The fact that Mrs Tebbutt is also British is significant for Imam Omar Moalin Abshir, who is from the same Suleiman sub-clan as the pirates holding Judith Tebbutt.

"We know the kind gesture the British people and their government have extended to Somalis after the collapse of the Somali state. Many Somalis are today enjoying freedom and a good life in UK. It's a shame that this is how we repay our brothers in UK."

Publishing executive David Tebbutt was killed while his wife Judith was kidnapped In Somali society the elders are treated with great respect. But when it comes to the pirates the rule book is torn up.

Motivated By One Thing Only - MONEY

The size of the ransom payments make it a hugely profitable business. Experts say the average payment is now $5m (£3.2m). According to the piracy watchdog and campaign group Ecoterra, the pirates are currently holding 48 vessels, along with 504 crew including a South African yachting couple.

Despite the fact that the elders are pretty much ignored by the gangs, they are still working to help release Mrs Tebbutt. They have appealed to the local administration of the Himan and Heb region to help. Its leader, Mohamed Aden, organised the handover of the Chandlers last November.

"Recently there was a meeting held by the elders from the central region where this issue was raised. We agreed to work together as elders and ensure she is freed. "We are making contacts with elders in the specific area where she is said to be held and we are determined to use everything at our disposal to ensure the lady is released."

There had been fears that Mrs Tebbutt was being held by the Islamist insurgent group Al Shabab. Although it is now clear from local reports that she is in the hands of pirates, Al Shabab - which is known to be running short of funds - is likely to gain from the kidnapping.

"According to information we are receiving, Al Shabab and the pirates are one and the same," said Imam Omar Moalin Abshir. "They have a close link and they share every ransom paid for the release of ships hijacked in Somalia - and that is a fact."

MPHRP A Worldwide Campaign

To help the victims of piracy at sea has been launched in London's Docklands. The organisers of the Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Programme (MPHRP) say the campaign is in reaction to rising levels of violence and cruelty committed by Somali pirates against captured sailors.

Chairman Peter Swift said piracy was reaching "an all-time high". The campaign launch also coincides with World Maritime Day. Mr Swift said piracy was increasing "in the number of incidents, in the vast ransoms demanded and, most of all, in the extreme violence used.

"The treatment meted out to victims now frequently crosses the line from savagery into torture." Somali pirates, frustrated when their ransom demands are not met fast enough.

They can inflict punishments on ordinary seafarers which include being locked in a ship's freezer, dragged below the hull, or tied up on deck with a gun to their heads and subjected to mock executions, sometimes during a forced phone call to their families.

Save Yourselves

The MPHRP campaign is focusing on helping the victims of maritime piracy and their families, many of whom suffer lifelong trauma. It aims to support seafarers through what is termed the three phases of a piracy incident - pre-departure, during the crisis and post-release.

Organisers say the level of aftercare given by employers varies enormously, from being flown home and given counselling to being told: "We can't pay you for the last few months while you were hijacked because you weren't doing any work."

Chirag Bahri was held for eight months is Attending the campaign launch, a 29-year-old engineer from India who was held for eight months last year and subjected to torture by his pirate captors.

"We were taken up to the bridge deck and we were tied up with plastic bags, ropes, nylon ropes for four hours, and even the genitals were tied up," he said.

"They start beating up us, shouting: 'Save yourselves, save yourselves otherwise we'll kill you, tell us where the satellite phone connection is.' So that's how they used to torture us for everything."

Five Most Notorious Recent Piracies

In Sept 2011, British woman Judith Tebbutt and her husband David, from Bishop's Stortford in Hertfordshire, were attacked by a gang of pirates at the remote Kiwayu Safari Village, on the coast of northern Kenya.

Mr Tebbutt, 58, a publishing executive, was shot dead by the bandits. Mrs Tebbutt, 56, a social worker, was bundled into a speed boat and is reportedly being held on an island in southern Somalia.

Marie Dedieu, a disabled Frenchwoman in her sixties, was snatched from a holiday home in northern Kenya on Oct 1st 2011, not far from where Judith Tebbutt was abducted.

An armed gang seized Mrs Dedieu, 66, from Manda Island in the Lamu archipelago, and fled by sea. The kidnapping prompted several Western countries, including Britain, to warn their citizens not to travel to within 90 miles of Kenya's border with Somalia.

In Feb 2011 Somali pirates captured a 58ft-long yacht called the "Quest" they shot dead the four Americans on board: Jean and Scott Adam, Phyllis Macay and Bob Riggle. The yacht was seized by pirates off the coast of Oman and was then shadowed by the US Navy.

But the presence of the US military did not prevent the four tourists from being killed. Fourteen Somalis and a Yemeni are now facing trial in the US over the incident.

In Oct 2009, British couple Paul and Rachel Chandler, sailing from the Seychelles towards Tanzania on their yacht the "Lynn Rival" were kidnapped by Somali pirates.

The couple, from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, were only released in Nov 2010 after 388 days in captivity. They have said they intend to sail again – although they will opt for the Caribbean rather than the Indian Ocean.

In Nov 2008 Colin Freeman, The Sunday Telegraph's chief foreign correspondent, was sent to Somalia to report on the growing threat of piracy. He became part of the story after he was kidnapped along with José Cendon, a Spanish photographer.

The pair spent 40 days as hostages in various caves. Both men were later released unharmed and Freeman wrote a book about the ordeal.

Modern-day Pages Fast Boats Pages Joe Wezley Pages

11 attacks in 6 days

There were 11 attacks in 6 days in November these were all in the Gulf of Aden and the East coast of Somalia region.

The total for that date is 92 attacks on vessels of which 36 were successful hijackings.

Including their most significant success with the capture of the biggest tanker in the world ever to be hijacked. Not only that the pirates are attacking further from the coast than ever before. Suggesting that they are possibly operating from mother ships of organised crime or from ghost ships.

The criminal phenomenon is now getting out of control. unless firm action is taken against the pirates, the frequency and strength of these attacks will only escalate.

The world will have to unite once more like they did hundreds of years ago to wipe out the plague of pirates.

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Piracies Pirate Attacks 1

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