Individual pirates don't have these
resources. Hijackings are the work of organized crime rings."
The IMB describes the aftermath of a typical hijacking:
"The Global Mars has probably been given a new name and repainted.
Armed with false registration papers and bills of lading, the
pirates - or more likely the mafia bosses pulling the strings - will
then try to dispose of their booty. The vessel has probably put in
to a port where the false identity of vessel and cargo may escape
detection. Even when identified, the gangs have been known to bribe
local officials to allow them to sell the cargo and leave the port."
Such a ship is often "recycled" a few times. It earns its operators
an average of $40-50 million per "cycle", according to "The
Economist". The pirates contract with sellers or shipping agents to
load it with a legitimate consignment of goods or commodities. The
sellers and agents are unaware of the true identity of the ship, or
of its unsavory "owners/managers".
The pirates invariably produce an authentic vessel registration
certificate that they acquired from crooked officials - and provide
the sellers or agents with a bill of lading. The payload is then
sold to networks of traders in stolen merchandise or to gullible
buyers in a different port of destination - and the ship is ready
for yet another round.
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