Somali Pirates Wanted $27M For Prantalay

[LaoPo]

Somali pirates wanted $27m for Prantalay

9 February 2011

The Somali pirates had demanded a $9 million ransom for each of the three Prantalay fishing trawlers, to release 20 hostages and the vessels. They had made the demand, via the satellite communication system installed onboard, from Song Sang, the owner of PT Interfisheries.

The 20 were rescued by the Indian Navy on January 28, nearly 10 months after they were held captive in Somali waters.

"My employees said the pirates had anchored our vessels in between 30 other hijacked merchant vessels with people of various nationalities," Sang told TOI on Tuesday.

He said the pirates communicated with him occasionally via the satellite system. "The pirates had a brief talk an hour after they hijacked my vessels on April 18 last year. They demanded $3 million initially. The amount increased to $6 million and finally touched the $9 million figure," he said. But, he said, he rejected their demands.

Continues here:

http://gaops.com/ind...:news&Itemid=13

Note:

to give an impression about the distances, Thailand and 1,200 nautical miles off the Somalia coast:

http://maps.google.c....332031&t=h&z=4

LaoPo

Edited February 17, 2011 by webfact
story edited to "fair use" //Admin

[LaoPo]

Pirates 'threaten global oil supplies'

Published: Feb. 16, 2011 at 11:49 AM

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Feb. 16 (UPI) -- With two tankers seized by Somali pirates in recent days ship owners warned that hijackings are "spinning out of control" and could disrupt global oil supplies if governments don't take tough action against the sea bandits.

"If piracy in the Indian Ocean is left unabated, it will strangle these crucial shipping lanes with the potential to severely disrupt oil flows to the United States and to the rest of the world," said Joe Angelo, managing director of the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners.

"We want to see a significant increase in government will to eradicate piracy in this area and not just contain it."

Piracy is costing the global economy $7 billion-$12 billion a year, the shipping industry says.

<snip>

On Feb. 6, two Indian naval vessels captured one of these mother ships, a Thai trawler called the Prantalay 11, along with 20 pirates off southwest India when they went to aid a Greek freighter under attack.

The Prantalay was one of three Thai fishing boats seized by pirates off Somalia in 2010.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/S.../#ixzz1EAlTCNKB

LaoPo

[LaoPo]

Published: februari 8, 2011 02:37 IST | Updated: februari 8, 2011 02:37 IST Mumbai, februari 8, 2011

Prantalay pirates remanded in seven-day judicial custody

Rescued crew members of a Thai fishing trawler at a police station in Mumbai on Monday. Photo: Vivek Bendre

Hostages rescued from the ship to be interrogated

The hostages on board Prantalay 14, who were rescued by the Navy and the Coast Guard on January 28 near the Lakshadweep islands, were brought here on Monday and handed over to the Yellow Gate police station.

The 15 pirates apprehended in that operation were remanded in seven days' judicial custody by a local court on Monday, after having been brought to Mumbai a week ago. They have been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code for violating Indian laws and acting against Indians.

Police said that the hostages would be interrogated before being sent back to their countries.

"They were brought here from Kochi on Monday. We will interrogate them because they are the witnesses, and then decide when to send them back to their countries," Khalid Kaisar, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mumbai Port Zone, said.

Of the 20 rescued hostages, 16 fishermen are from Myanmar and four are Thai nationals. Their fishing vessel was hijacked in April 2010.

"Pirates take us, not happy. Here, happy," Kook Kwan, one of the rescued Thai hostages told The Hindu in broken English. He was the only one who could understand or speak any English.

Continues here:

http://www.thehindu....icle1165691.ece

LaoPo

[metisdead]

Moved to Thailand News forum.

[striderman]

27 million????

those guys would fit right in on pattaya beach renting jet ski's

[LaoPo]

10 February 2011 Last updated at 06:04 GMT

The losing battle against Somali piracy

Piracy has flourished in lawless Somalia

Piracy in the Indian Ocean has taken an alarming turn recently, with the killings of two seized Filipino crewmen and the hijacking of an oil tanker with a cargo worth $200m (£125m). The BBC's security correspondent Frank Gardner looks at the losing battle against piracy.

In a lengthy gun battle in the Arabian Sea last month South Korean commandos stormed a pirated ship, the Samho Jewelry, killing eight pirates, capturing five others and freeing all the crew.

The European Union naval force, Navfor, which patrols the area, is now under mounting pressure to take similar action.

Navfor's spokesman, Wing Commander Paddy O'Kennedy, said storming seized ships put the lives of hostage crew members at risk.

"At the moment our policy is that the safety of the hostages comes first," he said.

"When you use the military, people get hurt, that's a fact. The captain of the Samho Jewellery, which is the ship that you are referring to, was shot in the stomach during that action."

Mother ships So is any real progress being made in the fight against piracy off Somalia? The statistics are not encouraging.

"Quote

When you get close to ships that have been pirated... they put the crew on deck, they will put a gun against their head, and that's a pretty strong message for us to stay away" -

Wing Cdr Paddy O'Kennedy - Navfor

Currently at least 30 ships are being held, along with more than 700 hostages.

Continues:

http://www.bbc.co.uk...europe-12412565

LaoPo