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The Three Types of

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Modern Day Pirates

Modern-day pirates can be divided into three kinds:

"Smaller" pirates who simply rob the crew and then depart. This usually occurs when the victim vessel is at anchor or at port.
Pirates who rob the crew and steal the cargo on board.
The third type of pirates take over the vessel, re-flag it, and then run a "phantom ship" which in turn, steals the cargo of anyone foolish enough to consign such goods to it.

Smaller pirates are usually only interested in the safe of the ship and the possessions of the crew (the safe of a ship sometimes contains a considerable amount of money to pay port and payroll fees). The crews are most often left alone and the ships are usually set adrift. "Occasionally the ships are taken as well and the crew is set adrift in a dolly. The ship is then re-painted, re-named and re-registered, and sold."¹

When the pirates are finished looting a ship they can usually escape fairly easily because they usually leave the crew imprisoned or they force them off the ship before they leave. Pirates can also choose which nation's coastal waters they will escape to. "Some of the people in the coastal villages and local towns of Indonesia, Malaysia or Singapore are even sympathetic towards the arrival of pirates. In the Far East, where many of these piracy attacks occur, pirates have several harbors to hide in and operate from, where the locals will protect them."²

The second and third types of pirates tend to be much more organized, "professional" pirates. They are often linked to other criminal organization, on land which assist them to carry out the sale of the stolen goods and cargo, and assist in the forging of cargo documentation. Here is an example of the activities these pirates undertake:

1. The pirates look for a commodity seller or shipping agent with a letter of credit that has almost expired (this happens regularly since the demand for shipping space exceeds that which is available).
2. The pirates then offer the services of "their" ship. (This is the ship that is stolen, re-painted, re-named, and re-registered).
3. A temporary registration certificate is then acquired through a registration office at a consulate office. To get such a certificate a bribe combined with verbal information or some false and/or forged documents is necessary. This certificate provides the ship with an official (new) identity.
4. The ship is loaded and the shipper receives his bill of lading.
5. The pirates then sail to a different port than the one named as the destination on the bill of lading. There they unload the cargo to a partner in crime or an unsuspecting buyer and change the temporary registration certificate once again.³

The third type of pirates described involves sophisticated organizations of pirates who are able to steal at least $200 million a year worth of cargo. Many of the ships are then flagged in either third world or economically underdeveloped countries (like Honduras and Panama), and usually take cargo that is easily disposed of but not easily traceable, such as timber, metals, and minerals. The significance of the third type lies in the sophistication of these maritime thieves. As indicated by the measures these pirates take, a outlined above, they are professional thieves.

All three types of piracy are of concern. But, where the cargo and/or ship is the target, is of greatest concern since lives ar at stake; The crew of the hijacked ship could be marooned or even thrown overboard by the sea raiders.

The recent rise in the number of boardings and piracy attacks occurring worldwide, accompanied by the disturbing trend toward the use of firearms and violence once the vessel has been boarded, makes maritime piracy a matter in need of immediate attention.

FOOTNOTES:
1. Author Unknown. "Piracy in the Nineties." http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Garden/5213/current.htm
2. Author Unknown. "Piracy in the Nineties." http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Garden/5213/current.htm

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