Military of China, force comment.
Military of China, force comment.

2008, the “central Regional Coast Guard, “attacked 29 ships, received a $ 10 million in revenue, of which a person’s income Hassan is 35 million. As shown, Hassan, who boarded a ship ready to attack.
Hassan, the Somali pirates, and cohorts were carrying a rocket ship sitting

Pengmeng Yao (Xinhua News Agency for the newspaper feature articles)

Somali pirates hijacked a Saudi Arabian supertanker “Sirius”, the dangerous waters off Somalia once again become the focus of the world. French female reporter Manon Kailu Yi-depth Somali pirates stronghold, before opened to people not known to the outside world the mystery of the pirate life.

named “Coast Guard”

Kai Luyi 23 in a published article says, after dust in the barren land bumps on the road 10 hours, she and fellow photographer finally arrived in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, 400 km north of the seaside town of Hobyo.

Kailu Yi arrived in this desert town near future, a man carrying a weapon who are charged with a truck in the next stop. Everyone on board armed with submachine guns. On the other side, a white boat carrying seven men close to the coast. By satellite phone to communicate with the shore after a brief staff, headed by a person carrying a rusty grenade launcher to go ashore.

the thin man is the leader of this gang of pirates – Abdullah Hassan.

Hassan told Kailu Yi, his 39-year-old, nicknamed “the people never sleep.” Hassan from three years ago to guide a 350-member gang of pirates, mostly former members of the armed fishermen and return home. They named itself “Coast Guard.”

former is “honest fisherman”

piracy gang has been formed within a comprehensive employment system.

fishermen have had knowledge of navigation, former combatants brought back from the Somali civil war battlefield use of weapons technologies, some of the simple computer operations master is responsible for manipulating the young pirate satellite global positioning system (GPS), and use of communications equipment to track the target, directing attacks and negotiate with the parties concerned.

under the leadership of Hassan, “Coast Guard” “results” striking, they cooperate with other pirate gangs to implement this year, about 30 times and ships operations, share $ 10 million ransom.

enough money to gang members not only good to eat drink, you can also purchase from more advanced foreign weapons and ships, in addition, Hassan is also given to the family some money to improve their lives. “Money is not the problem,” Hassan said.

Hassan said the collapse of the Somali coast legal system, to attract speculative fishing boats from fishing around the world, cut their way out before. “I used also a honest fishermen, but run out of our merchant marine resources, we have to open up a new life path.”

launched a “clean hit”

When Kai Luyi asked Hassan “work skills”, he hung a smile on his face disappeared. Although he refused to disclose the details of the hijacking of vessels, but the rampant Somali pirates attacked in the past year at least 90 ships, their modus operandi in fact already known to the outside world.

usually choose Russian-made pirate trawler as a “mother ship” at sea cruising and select the target, and then lay down boats, fast approaching the target. All of a sudden, the ship will be more than driving the boat surrounded by pirates, just like Wengzhongzhibie. Pirates fired in the air, and threatened unarmed merchant ship and crew, if not surrender, the ship will launch grenades.

perhaps just a few seconds, the boat hook on the anchor with a hook pirate ship in disarray, and then put up a rope ladder to climb to go, complete control of the ship made. “The secret of a successful attack is speed of action,” Hassan said. From the selected target to the final boarding, the process is often less than 15 minutes. “And there is no bloodshed,” Hassan said proudly, Somali pirates to launch a “clean hit” and proud. Strict compliance with the pirates, “norm”, as long as the owner handing over usually 150000-3000000 U.S. dollars ranging from ransom, the general safety of the hostages on board from threats.

pirates as “glorious career”

Pirates of the local is not a dishonorable profession, they are the unbearable hardship for some residents the opportunity to . Small business operators who sell pirate daily, many relatives of the pirates were responsible for negotiating matchmaking, convertible currencies, with the ransom building a car, etc., through “pirate economy” to achieve “employment.”

in the eyes of many locals, piracy is glory enough for the whole family feel professional. One from the “friend of a friend” borrowed travel expenses to participate in pirate gang arrived hobyo 40-year-old man said: “Everyone knows that piracy is a good line of business where the only reward.”

30,000 ships each year crossing the 2.5 million square kilometers of the coast of Somalia pirates who provides the perfect opportunity. In contrast, the neighboring region of Mudug piracy capital of Galkayo that about 40 per month plan and only $ 60 wages of police has never been their opponents.

although some people benefit because of pirates, but the whole town and not because of piracy and prosperity. Sea King spent part of the ransom was the construction of luxury houses, buy name brand off-road vehicles, part of the gang members used to support their family, many are entrenched in southern Somalia anti-government armed “Islamic Courts Union” exploitation.

Hassan said: “We hope to get some money, but let the family live, but they want us to give them money to buy weapons to fight government forces.”

another has Visit pirate stronghold town of Ariel, told reporters that he thought would find a pirate’s “El Dorado”, the result there, “in addition to assault rifles, nothing other than goats and khat.”

Kai Luyi last wrote in an article, the problem is that the Somali pirates, as drug cultivation in Afghanistan has already become a lucrative industry that locals flock to. Obtained from the ill-gotten gains of these activities in turn funded the civil war, deepening poverty and instability which is the source of the breeding of illegal activities. How to jump out of this vicious circle, is the most important thing for the international community question on the minds.