




The strategy
According to a recent BBC report, off the Somalian coast, the hotspot of piracy attacks, only seven to 10 pirates, armed with heavy weapons and cruising in speed boats board the ship and make the initial attack. After the ships are captured, they are taken mostly to the port of Eyl. Once the vessel is seized, it has been reported, 50 pirates stay on board while 50 more wait on the shore to see that nothing goes amiss. At Eyl, the pirates treat their hostages well in expectation of a huge ransom amount. No hostages have been reported killed in Somali pirate hijackings. The crew of the hijacked ships is fed at special restaurants that have sprung up in the area. And though the country has not had a stable Government in 17 years, plush houses and fancy cars dot the town. According to one estimate, money made by pirates from ransom payments was higher than the annual budget of Puntland last year. Lately, pirates have changed their tactics with heavily armed attackers operating simultaneously in the Gulf of Aden and on the eastern coast of Somalia, extending their range by operating from larger vessels. They use a mother ship as a mainstay of their attacks, from where they launch smaller boats to attack vessels.
The ransom amount


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