Renegade
members of British trained Indonesian anti-piracy squads are still
roaming the Malacca Straits.
Pirates also enjoy the support of an insidious and vast network of
suborned judges and bureaucrats. Local villagers along the coasts of
Indonesia and Malaysia - and Africa - welcome pirate business and
provide the perpetrators with food and shelter.
Moreover, large tankers, container ships, and cargo vessels are
largely computerized and their crew members few. The value of an
average vessel's freight has increased dramatically with
improvements in container and oil storage technologies. "Flag of
convenience" registration has assumed monstrous proportions,
allowing ship owners and managers to conceal their identity
effectively. Belize, Honduras, and Panama are the most notorious, no
questions asked, havens.
Piracy has matured into a branch of organized crime. Hijacking
requires money, equipment, weapons, planning, experience and
contacts with corrupt officials. The loot per vessel ranges from $8
million to $200 million.
Pottengal Mukundan, Director of ICC's Commercial Crime Services
states, in a recent IMB press release:
"(Piracy) typically involves a mother ship from which to launch the
attacks, a supply of automatic weapons, false identity papers for
the crew and vessel, fake cargo documents, and a broker network to
sell the stolen goods illegally.
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