Pirates of the 21st Century: How Modern-Day Buccaneers are Terrorising the World's Oceans

In November 2008, Somali pirates seized the Sirius Star, a supertanker carrying $100 million worth of oil, and demanded a $25 million ransom for its return. This story, following hot on the heels of the capture of the Ukrainian vessel MV Faina, brought piracy back to the front pages—but these were by no means isolated incidents. Piracy has once again become the scourage of the high seas. Throughout 2008, close to 90 ships were seized in the Gulf of Aden alone and, in many cases, the pirates were paid million-dollar ransoms to release them. Who are the men behind this modern-day phenomenon? What started as a patrol to combat commerical plundering of their fish stocks has now grown into a highly organized and lucrative business. In a war-torn country, the pirates have brought hope and entire villages depend on the wealth that they bring in—they have even been likened to Robin Hood. But whatever their motives, these modern-day buccaneers should not be romanticized—their attacks are becoming more violent and they are increasingly in possession of automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades.