Pirates' net widens as they seize boats 1,200 miles off coast

Published on Tuesday 20 April 2010 21:30

SOMALI pirates hijacked three Thai fishing vessels with nearly 80 crew aboard more than 1,200 miles off the Somali coast, the farthest offshore attack to date, the EU Naval Force said yesterday.

Pirates have expanded their range south and east in response to an increase in patrols by European and US warships off the Somali shore.

The hijacking of the three Thai vessels was almost 600 miles outside the normal operation area for the EU Naval Force, said its spokesman, Commander John Harbour.

The EU Naval Force said the attack so far out at sea was a clear indication that the EU, Nato and US-led anti-piracy missions were having a "marked effect on pirate activity in the area".

"Once they start attacking that far out, you're not even really talking about the Somali basin or areas of water that have any connection with Somalia," said Roger Middleton, a piracy expert at the British think tank Chatham House.

"Once you're that far out it's just the Indian Ocean, and it means you're looking at trade going from the Gulf to Asia, from Asia to southern Africa."

The three vessels – the MV Prantalay 11, 12, and 14 – have 77 crew onboard in total. All the crew are Thai, Cmdr Harbour said. The owner of the vessels is PT Interfishery Ltd.

Before the latest hijackings, pirates held 11 vessels and 228 crew, said Cyrus Mody of the International Maritime Bureau (IMB). The latest hijacking raises those numbers to 14 vessels and 305 crew.

Pirates have increased attacks against shipping over the past year in hopes of netting the ship's cargo and crew, and holding them hostage, demanding multi-million-dollar ransoms for their safe release.

Because of increased naval patrols and increased defences on board commercial vessels, the pirates' success rate has gone down, though the number of successful attacks has stayed about the same year over year.

April and May – the end of the monsoon season – is the most dangerous time of the year for ships in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean.

But international military officials have vowed to take the fight to the pirates and on just one day last month there were four shoot-outs with them.

Nearly half the 47 ships hijacked off Somalia last year were taken in March and April.

This season, ship owners are more prepared to evade pirates or fight back.

Some have armed security on board, raising the likelihood of violence.

Crews are successfully repelling more attacks, making it harder for pirates to capture ships and earn fortunes.

In turn, the Somali gangs are increasingly turning violent.

The IMB said only seven ships were fired on worldwide in 2004 but that rose to 114 ships last year off the Somali coast alone.

The IMB has expressed fears that the increased use of armed contractors could spark an arms race between fishermen and pirates, who are firing at ships with increasing frequency.

Many ship owners are investing in physical defences, such as stringing razor wire and adding high-pressure hoses to use as water cannons. Some vessels are even having electric fence-style systems installed.

Crews have thrown everything from oil drums to wooden planks at would-be hijackers clambering up ladders. One crew played the sound of dogs barking over an amplifier to frighten off attackers.

Last year, the average ransom was about $2 million (1.3m).