Although modern day pirates no longer wear swords and fly the skull and cross bones, they are still present and terrorizing legitimate vessels on the open seas. The reason remains the same – there is money and goods to be taken from their rightful owners. Almost wiped out a century ago incidents of piracy have been steadily increasing since the 1980s.
The majority of attacks occur in the waters of South America, south and southeastern Asia, south of the Red Sea and off the African coast. As were the bandits of older times modern pirates are masked, dress differently and are for the most part aggressive and ruthless.
These sea-going bandits enjoy a kind of immunity on the high seas. Many nations do not have sea police and jurisdiction concerning the open ocean is muddled at best. Old tricks, such as raising a flag of whatever country they wish to sail under, make things even more difficult. There is also the problem of corrupt government officials who protect water-going criminals for a share of the stolen cash and property.
There are two types of pirates operating today. The small-time pirate group consists of individuals interested in money and loot that can be quickly converted into cash. These bands have low goals and are in it for themselves.
Pirates with larger goals are usually a part of a sophisticated network of criminals. They are the watery link in an organized crime syndicate. Their job is keep their segment of the business moving so their interest lies in more profitable prey then their small time counterparts. They may have people in London who advise them of ships’ designs, cargo and intended routes. London is the world headquarters of ship-broking and insurance. At least one pirate group based in Somali is benefiting from London-based intelligence leaks.
Although they may have the appearance of being little more than masked bandits, organized pirate units have access to modern technology and use it to their full advantage. They operate speed boats equipped with radar and sonar. They are capable of various forms of communication as well as employing modern weapons. Their arsenal may include torpedoes, rocket launchers, machine guns and other modern weaponry. These groups usually stay abreast of modern technology which makes them even more dangerous.
Often they’ve targeted a particular vessel before launching a raid. Small cargo ships seem to appeal to them as they have to slow down when navigating narrow straights. If a larger ship is the goal, a pirate will often stow away or get hired on as a crew member. When time for the attack approaches they slow the ship down making it easier to board.
While their methods may have adapted to modern times, the basic behavior of pirates remains the same as it did three hundred years ago. People are killed, robbed and held for ransom. The illegal activities of pirates result in an estimated annual 13 to 16 billion dollar loss for their victims. Many businesses don’t report their losses due to their insurance costs rising as much as 30 percent.
While attacks at sea are fairly common the vast majority of crimes are committed against anchored ships. It’s easier to steal goods, rob passengers and crew or even hold people for high ransoms.
Piracy is a world wide problem. It creates a staggering financial loss and worse yet a human toll. It needs to be addressed on a global scale with the high seas coming under the jurisdiction of a united force. Not an easy task to tackle but the issue will only fester until something is done.