An Cosantóir

30 FROM THE ARCHIVES An Cosantóir February 2014 www.dfmagazine.ie 20 | T he recent fi lm Captain Philips starring tom hanks has once again brought to the fore the terrifying experience of kid- napping and piracy on the high seas. this true story tells the tale of a vessel captained by Cap- tain Jack Philips that is hijacked by somali pirates. Piracy remains a concern for ships passing the Horn of Africa, even though an international security force has been mo- bilised to police the waters, and billions of dollars has been paid out to pirates for the release of ships and their crews. The modus operandi used in a typical attack has been analyzed by security operatives. It generally involves one or two skiff s that can travel up to speeds of 25 knots. Assaults occur in daylight, often in the early hours of the morning. Using a mother ship or larger vessel, the pirates can launch their skiff s, increasing their operating range far into the Indian Ocean. Groups vary in size and many of the pirates are high on qat, a narcotic plant that they chew. They approach the target vessel from the quarter or stern and using the threat of an RPG rocket launcher they force the ship to slow down. Using homemade ladders or bamboo poles they board the ships, where they immediately make for the bridge, the control centre of the ship. The crew are rounded up and secured. If the pirates look as if they are going to be intercepted by a naval vessel, they jettison their equipment into the sea before being arrested and without incriminating evidence they avoid prosecution and are often released. Weapons and equipment for the attacks are sourced from Yemen and Somalia's capital, Mogadishu. The weapons consist of AKMs, RPG-7s, AK47s and semi-automatic pistols such as the TT-30. While many of the earlier attacks were carried out by disgruntled local fi shermen, groups of pirates are becoming increasingly organised. The funding of pirate operations can be compared to a stock exchange where investors can buy and sell shares in upcoming attacks. Informa- tion on ships and their cargos is radioed to the investors by members of the Somali diaspora throughout the world. Over the last 15 years Somali pirates have attacked hundreds of vessels in the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean, ranging from fi shing vessels, to tankers and cargo ships. Many crew members have been killed or left traumatized by their ordeals, which can last months un- on the high seas by PAUL O'BRIEN MA An Cosantóir Volume 74, Issue 01, February 2014

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