A Ukrainian ship seized by pirates off the coast of Somalia was carrying 33 tanks and other weapons, the Ukrainian defence minister has confirmed.
Reported by the BBC. The hijackers are presently surrounded by Russian and US warships.
There is also has a nice article on life in a pirate town. Somali pirates, it seems, are holding more than a dozen hijacked ships in the town of Eyl.
Whenever word comes out that pirates have taken yet another ship in the Somali region of Puntland, extraordinary things start to happen.
There is a great rush to the port of Eyl, where most of the hijacked vessels are kept by the well-armed pirate gangs.
People put on ties and smart clothes. They arrive in land cruisers with their laptops, one saying he is the pirates’ accountant, another that he is their chief negotiator.
And, my favorite line:
Special restaurants have even been set up to prepare food for the crews of the hijacked ships.
For an historical perspective, you may be interested in Peter Leeson’s Piratenomics.
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