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PrintJanuary 10, 2009
Just desserts for Somali pirates
A little schadenfreude for your Saturday afternoon pleasure.
As many as 5 Somali pirates who hijacked a Saudi oil tanker have drowned after a $3 million ransom was paid by the tanker's owner.
Apparently, the pirate's boat was so weighed down with cash, that it capsized in a strong wind, drowning the thugs:
At least three Somali pirates were killed and two others are missing after their boat capsized, following the release of a Saudi supertanker by accepting a $3 million ransom, a report said.The witnesses and residents of Hobyo and Harardheere towns in Mudug region said the pirates died off the coast and two others are still missing on the Harardhere coast, according to an AllAfrica report on Saturday.The report suggested that these Somali pirates could be the individuals who had hijacked the Saudi Arabian oil supertanker Sirius Star in November in the Indian Ocean.The boat, which was capsized due to a strong winds on the sea, was believed to be carrying some of the ranson payment as some residents saw some dollar money in bags on the beach, AllAfrica said.The Saudi supertanker was released on Friday and all 23 crew members are reportedly safe and in good health as they survived the world's biggest ship hijacking.
Of late, several nations have stepped up their commitment to helping the US and other western countries patrol the vast area where the pirates operate. It appears to have helped as several pirate boats have been seized and a couple of attempts have been thwarted.
But piracy won't stop until the world decides to go into Somalia and clear out their putrid nests and destroy the pirate infrastructure. That may be a little while in coming.
