Pirates’ Core Competency?- Kidnapping October 3, 2011
Posted by Chris Mark in Piracy & Maritime Security.Tags: Chris Mark, InfoSec, Maritime Security, Piracy & Maritime Security, Somalia
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I worked for years in the credit card data security industry. There is a saying that credit card fraud cannot be eliminated only shifted. The fact remains that credit card fraud provide too great of a return on investment with little risk for criminals to ”give up” when new technologies are employed to stop one type of fraud. They simply change tactics to obtain the data they can use to perpetrate fraud.
Recently, it was disclosed that another tourist was kidnapped from a beach in Kenya by Somalis. The prevailing belief is that the kidnappers were ‘pirates’. In reality, the pirates we have been seeing off the coast of Somalia are, at their core, kidnappers. When companies began arming vessels and the traditional method of kidnapping their victims became too risky, some began shifting their tactics.
There is both good news and bad news from this change in tactics. The good news is that the efforts of arming vessels and the presence of maritime forces is having some effect on reducing the number of hijackings. This can be seen in the reduction of successful attacks against ships. The downside is that at least pirates have correctly identified that kidnapping is likely where the money can be found and presents less risk than hijackings. In the end we will continue to see the pirates adapting in relation to the increasing security on the vessels.
Briton Killed; Wife Taken by Somali “Bandits” in Kenya September 12, 2011
Posted by Chris Mark in Uncategorized.Tags: armed security, Chris Mark, kidnapping, Piracy & Maritime Security, Ransom, Somalia
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Two Britons, a husband and wife, were on holiday in Kenya near the border with Somalia, when they were attacked by Somalis who arrived via high speed boat. According to reports the Somali men approached the cottage where the couple were staying and demanded their money. The man was shot and the woman was taken in the boats toward Somalia. Her whereabouts are currently unknown. While there are conflicting reports on whether the attackers were connected with Al Shabab, the tactics strongly suggest they are pirates who are adapting their tactics to kidnappings on land as the maritime vessels are becoming more difficult to successfully attack.
Private Yacht hijacked off Yemen then rescued same day as Danish family release! September 11, 2011
Posted by Chris Mark in Uncategorized.Tags: Armed escort, gulf of aden, gulf of aden security, InfoSec, maritime piracy, Maritime Security, Piracy & Maritime Security, risk management, somali pirates, Somalia
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On the day that a Danish family was released after months in captivity, an unidentified sailing yacht was taken by pirates on September 08, 2011 off the coast of Yemen: Latitude 15 27 N Longitude 052 14 E.
The yacht has now been identified as the catamaran TRIBAL KAT, heading west to east and crewed by the owners, a French couple Christian and Evelyne Colombo. The pirates’ vessel was sunk by a Spanish warship the SPS GALICIA and Evelyne Colombo recovered unharmed and 7 pirates arrested, however, her husband Christian is missing and is reported to have been killed during the initial hijack.
Owners of private vessels are urged to seriously consider avoiding High Risk Waters, as we’re seeing an increase in the numbers of private vessels attacked. As is the tragic case here, pirates are becoming far more violent with killing of hostages during violent takeovers becoming routine.
3rd Wave of Pirates? Law Enforcement Needed? (really?) September 7, 2011
Posted by Chris Mark in Uncategorized.Tags: Chris Mark, Maritime Security, Piracy & Maritime Security, security, somali pirates, Somalia
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According to Jay Bahadur, author of The Pirates of Somalia, a new wave of more younger, more violent pirates may be on the rise. You can read the interview here. While I agree with Mr. Bahadur on many of his points, he states that the immediate solution to piracy is ‘law enforcement on land’. I feel this is a ludicrous statement. ‘Law enforcement’ in a failed state provides no purpose. To have effective law enforcement you must first have governance. Right now Somalia is largely a lawless land. The per capita income is estimated at around $0.89 US per day. The incentive for piracy is simply too great to dissuade piracy. While I applaud Mr. Bahadur for his efforts at writing the book, his suggestion that law enforcement on the land will stop piracy is another example of an arm chair quarterback taking a very linear, simplistic view of a complex situation. Law enforcement is needed but is simply not possible until there are a number of other pieces put into place.
Danish family held by Somali pirates since February released! September 7, 2011
Posted by Chris Mark in Uncategorized.Tags: gulf of aden, InfoSec, maritime piracy, Maritime Security, Piracy & Maritime Security, risk management, somali pirates, Somalia
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COPENHAGEN, Denmark – Seven Danish hostages, including a family with teenage children, have been released by Somali pirates after more than six months in captivity, Denmark’s Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.
The Danes — a couple with three children ages 12-16 and two crew members — were captured in the Indian Ocean on Feb. 24 while sailing around the world in a yacht.
“The seven Danes are doing well under the circumstances. They are expected back in Denmark in a short time,” the ministry said in a brief statement.
It gave no details of how they were released and made no mention of a ransom being paid. No one at the Foreign Ministry was immediately available for comment.
Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen told public broadcaster DR that the Danes were on their way back in a chartered airplane paid for by their insurance company. Loekke Rasmussen said their release came after “a long period of negotiations.”
Hostages are held in hot, austere conditions in Somalia — typically for many months — before a ransom is agreed on and paid, and the hijacked ships and crew are released. Last year, a British sailing couple were released after 388 days in captivity. Reports indicated
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