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Sirius Star hijackers may have had insider tip-offs
Wednesday 26 November 2008
<p>PIRATES may be targeting high-value vessels using inside information and sophisticated tracking systems.</p>
<p>Government officials and security experts following the Sirius Star hijacking believe there is some evidence to suggest the ship was earmarked in advance by Somali pirates.</p>
<p>Until now it was widely assumed that pirates chose vessels at random, mostly opting for slow-moving soft targets.</p>
<p>But several factors point to an increasing level of sophistication among some highly organised pirate gangs with international reach.</p>
<p>The clearest indication of a shift in tactics came from a pirate onboard the Sirius Star itself during a conversation with a reporter from the respected London-based Arabic daily newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat.</p>
<p>“We had to bear many expenses to hijack it and $500,000 was paid for information and expenses for the people who hijack ships,” said the 35-year-old pirate, who identified himself as Jami Adam.</p>
<p>“We have countries that give us information about the ships in the sea, if there are commercial ships sailing our way,” he said.</p>
<p>Asked how the pirates followed these ships, he said that they had “collaborators” who provided information on vessel movements. He referred to informants in several countries including Yemen, Eritrea, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Dubai and South Africa. </p>
<p>“We have radars and know every ship’s location,” he added.</p>
<p>One western analyst following the case closely said a key question was how pirates managed to find the Sirius Star in the open ocean. </p>
<p>The hijacking occurred hundreds of miles from shore and far from the pirates’ usual haunts.</p>
<p>Similar questions are being asked about the Faina, the cargoship loaded with tanks and weaponry that was hijacked last September.</p>
<p>At the root of the issue is whether it was pot luck, or were the pirates provided with timely intelligence on individual ships and cargoes? If so, by whom?</p>
<p>“Everyone’s asking the same question,” the analyst said.</p>
<p>“Was it luck? Maybe, but it’s also a possibility that they are using overseas networks to gather information about vessel movements.” He added: “In truth, no one knows.”</p>
<p>John Dalby, a former seafarer and founder of maritime security company Marine Risk Management, has few doubts that ships are targeted by highly-organised criminal gangs.</p>
<p>MRM has more than a decade of experience in this field and employs former British special forces personnel to offer shipowners a ‘rapid response’ alternative to dealing with piracy. </p>
<p>The company advises on prevention measures, including satellite ship tracking, but has also been involved in securing the release of vessels by boarding them in international waters and using force against the hijackers.</p>
<p>“There is no doubt [Sirius Star] and other vessels were deliberately targeted and tracked,” he said. </p>
<p>According to Capt Dalby, “it’s a simple matter” to monitor cargo transactions and learn which commodities are being shipped between ports. </p>
<p>“Then any schoolboy can compute its course and speed, [pinpoint] intercept or choke points, and devise a plan of attack, knowing the vessel’s departure point, time of departure and speed characteristics,” he added.</p>
<p>“It’s certainly not rocket science.”</p>
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