Pirates involved in Kidnapping and Ransom
In the first nine months of this year, pirate attacks have increased 14 percent around the world, with a majority of attacks occurring of the coast of Somalia and Nigeria.
Pirates in Somalia have targeted humanitarian aid.
Pirates even targeted vessels on humanitarian missions, such as the MV Rozen which was hijacked in February soon after it had delivered food aid to northeastern Somalia. The ship and its crew were released in April, but the World Food Program has since relied on more expensive air deliveries for Somali.
In Nigeria, as the Navy attempts to crack down on oil smuggling, pirates are relying more on the kidnap and ransom industry to raise revenue.
A Nigerian navy spokesman, Capt. Henry Babalola, said criminals are now targeting the most vulnerable vessels — shipping trawlers — because authorities have cracked down on crude oil theft. The pirates also seize valuable communications gear.
Mwangura said hundreds of thousands of dollars in ransom have been paid to secure the release of vessels hijacked this year and part of the money is, “paid through bank accounts of individuals in (Kenyan cities) Nairobi and Mombasa.”
